To: CSR 309
From: Richard Feinberg
Re: Individual memo 2- Film analysis
I love this assignment. First , I love movies. I don’t trust people who do not go to movies (just kidding
…just using professorial license). Movies are not simply an escape (and so what if they are) they are
documents of our lives and times (other lives and times)…mirrors to our hopes and fears and future and
past. They can be uplifting. They can be enlightening. They can be depressing too. They are meaningful
in many ways. Reading is for losers…movies are for winners.
You are so lucky…every movie ever made is available to you and there are hundreds maybe thousands
that you have missed that you need to see. I have been asked hundreds of times for my favorites
because people want to be just like me (ok not thousands maybe hundreds. OK maybe not
hundreds…tens…OK 1 person 7 years ago). (OK…no one wants to be like me). Let me give you a couple
of personal favorites anyway (I expect you to save and refer to this list 10 years from now and pass it on
to your kids and grandkids as you pass your favorite recipes). Oh yes…the second reason I love this
assignment…I always learn something. Third (I know I said two reasons but if I had said three you would
not have read this far)…You guys really prove to me that you have learned something by seeing
leadership in a movie and writing better than you did on IM1.
Here are some of my favorites… The Third Man, Lawrence of Arabia, M, The man who would be King,
Manhattan, Apocalypse now, Fellini’s Roma, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Maltese Falcon, Godfather 1 2
and 3 (yes 3), Goodfellas, Annie Hall, Double Indemnity,, Motel Hell, The Great Santini, The Cook the
Thief his Wife and her Lover, Pulp Fiction, Red Rock West, The Treasure of Sierra Madre, Millions,
Amelie, The last Seduction, Duck Soup, Midnight Cowboy, The Deer Hunter (if you are on
antidepressants this will set you back and if you are not on antidepressants this will put you on them),
Taxi Driver, Groundhog Day, Midnight Cowboy, Three Days of the Condor, In America, Jean de
Florette/Manon of the spring, Red Rock West,The Usual Suspects, The King of Kong, Waitress, Sleepers,
Blazing Saddles, Chasing Amy, Say Anything, Animal House (of course), Fargo, The Last Detail, The Usual
Suspects, Alien, Galaxy Quest, Hot Fuzz, Waiting for Mum, The Big Lebowski, Fitzcaraldo, Y tu mamá
también , Laura, My dinner with Andre, The Freshman, Fargo, Casablanca, Maltese Falcon, Nashville,
2001, Dr Strangelove, The Last Seduction, A clockwork Orange, Sullivan’s Travels, Tootsie, Butch Cassidy
and the Sundance Kid, Field of Dreams, Chop Shop, City of Men, The Marriage of Maria Braun, Monty
Python’s.Meaning of Life, Ginger Snaps, American Werewolf in London, Deep Cover, also The Holy
Grail, The Bourne_____, The Wire (not a movie but 6 seasons of pure incredibleness) High Fidelity,
Almost Famous, Stranger than Fiction, Chocolat, This is Spinal Tap, The Pink Panther, Five easy pieces
The Producers (old version), Manhatten, The In-laws (older version), Synecdoche, New York, No Country
for Old Men, Casablanca (of course) and hundreds of others but these were all I could think of. This will
keep you busy for a while. If you like movies join Netflix (this is an endorsement).
Get the AFI’s top 100 movies ever…it will keep you busy for a while
http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/movies.aspx
I prefer Roger Ebert’s top movie lists this will keep you busy for decades
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041215/COMMENTARY/41215001/1023
The big movies this year- Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, and The Blind Side (If I never
read another analysis of the leadership in Avatar I will die a happy man…I don’t want to meet the
Na’vi….I do not want to see the Na’vi …I don’t care about the Na’vi).
1. There were a number of exceptional papers….please read them. Go to
www.cfs.purdue.edu/richardfeinberg csr309 spring 2010 im2 papers. They will be up
sometime today (Friday)
2. It is clear that many of you did not give this to someone else to read. Two things I learn from
this:
a.
It is not chance now that you accept mediocrity it is choice
b.
Your leader has failed you so I can better assess your leader’s ability. They should
have created a structure that guaranteed at least 24 others read your paper before
you handed it in….or the writing lab
3. I don’t like weak openings. Weak openings like….The movie I watched was…. There were
several instances of leadership throughout the movie...There are a lot of good leadership
movies. Leadership can be seen in everything… Last year I saw one of the most outstanding
movies I have seen. I felt it was perfect for this assignment…The classic movie….The great
movie…One of the best movies I have seen….
4. Never never ever ever never underestimate the importance of the first paragraph to make the
paper because of what it communicates. It says you know what you are talking about. It says
that you can write. It communicates the essence of the paper that you want me to read (after
reading 185 others):
a.
What is the paper about?
b.
What is the point?
5. You follow the story and don’t follow the leadership.
6. Way way way way too much story.
7. There are still some of you engaging is massive doses of “I” stuff…I think I feel I believe…I I I.
How could you not pick up on the message that this is not what I want. Use the I stuff for one of
your other classes.
8. Depth and substance was essential for an A. 270-300 and above 300 if there was something that
made me sit up
9. You could get a B with good ideas weaker writing.
a.
Weak ideas…weak writing got a C or below.
b.
If you got a 240 it means that you just had enough for a B
10. There are a lot of papers. And while I try to give useful feedback sometimes there is not enough
time or ability on my part.
11. This assignment highlights the power of leadership education. If one of my goals for this class is
to show how understanding leadership increases the richness of your lives then your ability to
see leadership in movies…stories…newspapers…shows that you have learned. Or at least I will
deceive myself into believing that.
12. Writing is weak really means writing is weak. If I say I did not get it …guess what…I did not get it.
If I gave up …I simply could not take it anymore.
13. What I like about this assignment is that I am constantly surprised at what movies have strong
leadership themes. According to A Martin…” How on earth can you find a leader in Zombieland”
and the fact that someone can attests to what you can see if you have an education.
14. Who cares??? At times when you are writing things that have nothing to do with leadership or a
leadership analysis I could only think WHO CARES.
15. I think there are three most important characteristics….who cares what you think? Just saying
something is leadership or saying there are three things important in leadership have a problem
unless you tie it to something…maybe Kouzes and Posner (but this would have required that you
read it and not depend on the cliff notes version you studied). Let me emphasize one last
time…you are missing a book of incredible value if you do not buy…do not read…do not reread
this book year after year after year.
16. The movie failed (succeeded) in leadership…no not the movie. A movie cannot have leadership.
17. There were some people who did movies that were on the do not do list and they expect me to
let them claiming they did not know. Pleasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssse tell me…where am I
going wrong?
18. So many movies…so little time.
19. Not Fineberg or Fienberg or Finberg
There were some very very very very good papers…a couple so brilliant that I was in awe (and you know
who you are). These very very good papers will be on the web. A good paper or a very good paper is not
necessarily one that is perfect…it just has something special of substance. So congratulations to:
Baker
Bolander
Bradford
Davis
Doherty
Fields
Hayley
Andrew
Curt
Alex
Eleanor
Amanda
Garner
Garrison
Grigsby
Hanna
Harris
Hilbert
Iddings
Johnson
Kizinski
Lahrman
Lam
Merchan
Pingel
Shiely
Vail
Dieckmann
Gotta
Jerkovich
Martin
Reeves
Shields
Schamber
Trock
Butler
James
Laura
Jamie
Stephanie
Shawna
Kathryn
Elizabeth
Simone
Jami
Katharine
Aaron
Kristine
Sarah
Erin
Nicholas
Michael
Elizabeth
Jenna
Tarissa
Michelle
Leigha
Kelsey
Lindsey
Lisa
But there were many very good papers and that makes Feinberg’s Wall of Fame for this assignment very
large. It also makes me very proud of you and for you:
Congratulations to…
Arias
Ashby
Becker
Bell
Brailsford
Brown
Chiero
Conner
Deeg
Denovi
Diedam
Dinwoodie
Ealy
Kristina
Lee
Laura
Michael
Nicholas
Dustin
Breann
Kristin
Stephen
Steven
Jason
Kyle
Jeffrey
Ebert
Fruehman
Gecewicz
Ghigliazza
Harrison
Heise
Hurlburt
Jeffries
Kennedy
Kern
Lanciotti
Lee
Loss
Mader
Manchak
Matyus
Mayner
McCrea
Michaelsen
Miller
Mussche
Neff
Pancis
Penna
Peter
Peterson
Robertson
Robertson
Sadurni
Scheller
Schmierer
Schnur
Sepaniak
Shaw
Shevlin
Smith
Snell
Tadros
Thelen
Wang
Weber
Wheeler
Wien
Michael
Leslie
Christopher
Michaela
Reeny
Annemarie
Courtney
Sean
Christine
Joshua
James
Eunice
Craig
Corbin
Jeff
Jocelyn
Zachary
Stephen
Michelle
Clayton
Amanda
James
Evan
Eric
Kyle
Nicole
Kandyce
Katie
Sabrina
Jonathan
Caitlin
Katie
Amanda
Jarrod
Candace
Alexandra
Whitney
Faris
Erin
Alex
Sarah
Kyle
Stephen
Yang
Yuan
Anderson
Blake
Brandt
Butler
Chen
Devereaux
Egierski
Fullerton
Gilmore
Govert
Hankins
Heaphy
Herrmann
Hetrick
Kim
Konzen
Lewis
Martin
Meade
Miro
Moore
Noah
Pettet
Privett
Quick
Redenius
Riggs
Schroeder
Stone
Stuart
Thompson
Tinder
Walker
Ward
Yang
Morris
Baker
Bolander
Bradford
Davis
Doherty
Kai
Kelly
Ryan
David
Jade
Hilary
Patricia
Devin
Chelsea
Amanda
Lucy
Anna
Sarah
Courtney
Whitney
John
Su Min
Ryan
Victoria
Ariel
Chelsea
Juan
Julie
Katherine
Zachary
Cassie
Elisa
Chad
Lauren
Samantha
Patrick
William
Rachel
Laura
Matthew
Kaitlin
Goang-Sug
Amy
Hayley
Andrew
Curt
Alex
Eleanor
Fields
Garner
Garrison
Grigsby
Hanna
Harris
Hilbert
Iddings
Johnson
Kizinski
Lahrman
Lam
Merchan
Pingel
Shiely
Vail
Dieckmann
Gotta
Jerkovich
Martin
Reeves
Shields
Schamber
Trock
Butler
Amanda
James
Laura
Jamie
Stephanie
Shawna
Kathryn
Elizabeth
Simone
Jami
Katharine
Aaron
Kristine
Sarah
Erin
Nicholas
Michael
Elizabeth
Jenna
Tarissa
Michelle
Leigha
Kelsey
Lindsey
Lisa
Best Title Awards to:
K Noah for “ Leading the Basterds (Inglorious Basterds)
Ms. V Lewis for You are Strong, You are Powerful, You are a Winner (Sunshine Cleaning)
Mr. Walker for “When to Act (Brooklyn’s Finest)
Ms. Chen for Great Leadership Skills for Those Who Never Give Up (Invictus)
G Lin Leadership qualities of pasta (Pasta)
R Anderson A Man In crisis (Public enemy)
M Michaelsen Leadership is an art (17 again)
M Walker for When to Act (Brooklyn’s Finest)
D Ogden Zombies Inspire Leadership (Zombieland)
C Redenius Good or bad leadership is leadership (Public Enemies)
A Fields Leadership lies in choices (My sister’s keeper)
A Mussche Be your own leader (He’s just not into you)
H Baker Peter Pan vs. Captain Hook, Who is the Better Leader? (Lost Boys)
M Futterlieb, Leadership : The Final Frontier (Star Trek)
L Riggs And the Greatest of these is Love ( License to wed)
K Robertson Leadership and Meatballs (cloudy with a chance of meatballs
J Hoffman Inspiring Leadership: One Movie at a Time ( La Vita é Bella)
J Jerkovich Sherlock Holmes – Detecting Leadership
J MatyusThe Gift (Without Limits)
J Kizinski Sleeping through Life (What’s eating Gilbert Grape)
New in Town

“I’m here to do a job, I will not get personally attached to this town”, Lucy Hill explains as she
introduces herself as the new supervisor overseeing the restructuring of a manufacturing plant
in a small Minnesota town. In the movie, New in Town, Lucy Hill comes to the realization that in
order to get a group of people to follow her directions, she must first respect them as well as
discover how to communicate with them effectively. New in Town demonstrates how important
good leadership skills are if you plan to successfully lead a group of individuals to a general goal.
A Smith
Post Grad

“Life’s like baseball you can’t hover at the plate you have to step up to the plate and play.” This
is the final line from the main character, Ryden, a recent college graduate in the movie Post
Grad. It takes the entire movie for her to realize that she needs to go above and beyond to get
what she wants, and not just blend in. Leadership takes initiative; this movie shows the journey
of how Ryden learns what it takes to become a good leader and how she learns from her
mistakes along the way. Leadership is a learned process and this movie helps to prove that
point. A Sepaniak

At the end of the movie we don’t know whether or not Ryden gets another job where she can
use her potential, but we do know that she has learned so much about herself and has used that
to turn herself into a great leader. She learned from her mistakes, grew, and lead herself to
what she thought she deserved. Anyone that would watch this movie would see the leadership,
how it’s a learned process, and the transition that is made. Throughout the movie Ryden does
show the initiative it takes to be a good student but not necessarily a leader. Ryden learned
leadership aspects along the way, but did she learn what is takes to be an excellent leader?
From watching this movie, can we teach ourselves what it takes to be a good or even excellent
leader? Do we all use our resources to become the best we can be? A Sepaniak
Monga

“I do not know what make sense, all I know is loyalty!” Wouldn’t you want to hear that if you
play a role of follower following a leader? This quote is translated from a very recently released
Taiwanese gangster film Monga. And it was said by one of the main character Mark Chao. There
are many different types of leader out there in the world today all with different kinds of leading
style and characters. But in my mind, there is only one kind of leader that can really lead and be
a true leader who everyone respects. That is the kind of leader that is “loyal” to their followers.K
Yang
My Sister’s Keeper

"There are some things we do because we convince ourselves it would be better for everyone
involved. We tell ourselves that it's the right thing to do, the altruistic thing to do. It's far easier
than telling ourselves the truth” (Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper). To be an astounding leader
one does not necessarily get to take the easy route or even the route that is most wanted.
Above all, a true leader is one that sacrifices their world to make others better and when faced
with a difficult decision they make the choice that is best in the long run. For instance, in the
movie, “My Sister’s Keeper,” Anna Fitzgerald was asked by her dying sister Kate to sue her
parents for the rights to her body so that Kate could finally die in peace. Anna was brought into
the world to be a genetic match for her older sister and keep her alive. This choice was not in
any way the one wanted by Anna, but her sister was her world, best friend, and partner in crime
that she would do what was best and what needed to be done. K Conner

The primary way Kate demonstrated leadership in the movie was by acting in the interest of
others and being selfless. Kate did not want to cause her family any more stress or worry,
considering what they had already given up and been through for more than a decade. Kate did
not want their lives to revolve around her or her illness and wished her parents could focus on
their other children for once. She did not want to be the reason Anna was poked, prodded, or in
pain any longer. She wanted her sister to lead a normal life, to have the option of playing soccer
or being a cheerleader—activities that would be difficult or impossible with only one kidney.
Kate wanted Anna to go through with the medical emancipation and transplant refusal, even
though she knew she could not survive without her sister’s help.
A Fields

Anna Fitzgerald possesses strong leadership qualities when she stands up for herself and
demands the rights to her own body. Even at eleven years old, Anna finds the determination
and courage to march into one of the top law firms in the state of California and ask for
representation pro bono. Anna finally communicates the vision she has of wanting to decide
what is right for her own body. Her unwavering dedication to standing up against her mother
and refusing to be continuously dissected accounts for the assertiveness needed to be a good
leader. K Cotton

My Sister’s Keeper contains a great message about leadership and offers viewers the chance to
learn from it. Many people believe good followers are expected to take bullets for their leader
when necessary. However, the movie showcases the opposite. Sometimes a good leader has to
take bullets for their followers. Kate took a bullet, in a symbolic as well as an almost-literal
sense, for Anna and the rest of their family. Kate was willing to let go of her own life in order to
make Anna’s more enjoyable and normal. Another learning experience stems from the
conclusion that leaders are not always the most obvious choice of people. It appeared that
Anna was the leader, but it was actually Kate. Decisions made by leaders do not always make
immediate sense to others, but there is a meaningful and significant purpose in each action and
choice. The right decision is not always the most popularly supported one.
A Fields

When leading a group it is important to listen. If a leader is speaking all the time they cannot
hear. If a leader cannot hear they cannot learn from those around them. In the courtroom the
entire Fitzgerald family tells Sara that Kate is ready to die and that is why they are there. Both of
the children and their father tell Sarah that Kate has been saying all along that she wants to die.
Jessie uses these exact words, “She is making Anna do all of this. Kate’s dying and everyone
knows it you just don’t want to let her die.” Sarah replies, “Kate would have told me.” The dad
chimes in, “She did a million times you didn’t want to hear it.” It is clear that through the years
Sarah refused to listen to Kate even though everyone else heard her. A leader can’t lead a team
effectively if they don’t listen to their team members. J Nestleroad
Julie and Julia

Julia competes against all of the men in her cooking class, and although they may think she does
not have what it takes, she goes home each night and practices that day’s lesson. She then
returns to school the next day and beats out the rest of the class. Not only is she determined,
she is dedicated to what she wants for herself. She is honest and admirable and will accept
nothing but the best.K McCalley

Passion, ambition, butter, do you have what it takes? This is what this movie is about. To
accomplish your dreams and goals you have to have what it takes. You cannot let what others
think of you get in the way of you success. Everyone that watches this movie will be inspired.
They will be driven to do something that even their own mom really does not approve on
because she thinks that her daughter Julie will not succeed. This is the case in Julie & Julia she
has come up with a plan to blog her way through a cookbook to get out of a funk and have a
goal in her life, and her own mother thinks that she is just wasting her time. But as the movie
progresses her mother realizes that this is more than just a blog it is her daughter’s future. Julie
got so much inspiration out of a simple household item, a cookbook written by the late great
Julia Childs….. Passion, ambition, butter, do you have what it takes? The tagline for this movie
says it all. You need to be passionate about what you are doing, like Julia and Julie. They knew
that they were going to run into some problems, but they met those problems and stood up to
them. They wanted to be successful and prove everybody wrong. You need to be ambitious. If
you d not have ambition you will not get anything accomplished. You also have to have what it
takes. Having what it takes will get you where you need to be. Never, ever be afraid! A Reinhold

Julie Powell formulated “The Julie/Julia Project” as a blog of her experience cooking each of the
524 recipes in the Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking within one year. Even though
she had so many failed projects, she never gave up on her mission of completing all 524 recipes.
She knew so many people had been watching her blog and she didn’t want to let them down.
This is an important role in being a leader: just because you want to give up, doesn’t give you
the right to abandon your team. Julie’s blog followers were like a team. They admired and
looked up to her. They even sent her gifts in the mail to motivate her when Julie’s spirits were
down, which was enough for her to keep pushing through. B Chiero
. Just like the average person, Julie was able to work her way to the top. Leaders need to relate
to us. They have to have some kind of connection with their audience for people to follow in

suit. Both leaders in this movie have the discipline to work towards their vision all on their own;
they didn’t just think about what they wanted to accomplish, they did it. Julia Childs was Julie
Powell’s inspiration and Julie Powell was an inspiration to others that they, too, can have a
pursuable dream. B Cheiro
Harry Potter and the half blood prince

Referred to as “The Chosen One” in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is a character very
admired in the wizard world; most people do not know of the popular, famous, young boy who
practically dominates the wizard world. Meet Harry Potter. He grew up just a normal kid in the
Muggle world, a place where magic does not exist, until he hit his years at Hogwarts, where he
was supposed to be the one and only “Chosen One” to conquer Lord Voldermort, an evil person
with hopes to take over the world. Throughout this movie, Harry shows much luck and talent to
achieve his endeavors. His capabilities, instincts, accomplishments, and luck have contributed
to Harry Potter’s success throughout this movie to be a great leader. N Oesterling
Fiddler on the roof

The fiddler is a leader himself. Although he has no lines in the movie and only shows up a few
times he plays an important role. Each time he comes into the movie it is a time where
someone is upset or angry. He smiles and plays the fiddle and somehow makes them happy. For
instance, after the Russian Officer warned Tevye that there was going to be a demonstration
Tevye walked home angry. The fiddler came into the street and they started dancing and Tevye
seemed to be happier. The fiddler brings happiness to others , they look forward to seeing him
and he gives them faith D Rovner

Three strong elements of leadership were displayed during this adventure. The three elements
are adaptability, strong-will, and self-sacrifice. Over the course of the movie one can clearly see
the display of leadership and the power it can have over individuals. This power was used to
defeat evil and search for a fallen comrade. We all have some of 9’s adaptability, strong-will,
and self-sacrifice, we just have to dig deep and seek it out within ourselves. K Wheeler
9
Book of Eli

Leadership is often viewed in a way that evokes thoughts of initiative, hard work and
dedication. All of these are valued qualities in an individual for which many strive to possess.
Leadership itself however can have a dark side when power corrupts the person in a leadership
position. The Hughes Brother’s The Book of Eli, depicts leadership in a cautionary light. While


power and influence can be used to lead others in the right direction, it is all too often used in
way to promote a single individual’s selfish desires. E Shiely
Although The Book of Eli is a work of fiction, systematic corruption in leadership is a reality
today. While there are people such as missionaries in leadership positions that act in ways that
help their fellow man in the name of religion, there are just as many who use religion for evil.
Anyone can see just from a nightly new report that around the world leaders are using forces
like religion to manipulate their followers to perpetuate their agenda. Leaders will always have
powerful resources for them to lead others. They can be used in various ways and how a leader
chooses to use them shows what kind of a leader they are. Carnegie chooses to take a
leadership role for selfish reasons and to expand his power by means of religion. He essentially
seeks to become an emotional slaveholder. Eli on the other hand takes a leadership role for
altruistic reasons. Being that he possessed the last copy of the Bible, he could have exploited its
power like Carnegie. Instead he chose to protect others from the wrath of a corrupt leader.
Although leadership can do great things for society, history as shown time and time again that
leaders can often use their influence for personal gain. Leaders will always be able to use
various forms of influence like religion but how they use it defines their character as well as the
leadership style. E Shiely
Love Happens

In a final analysis of this movie “Love Happens,” leadership can be found and used in everyday
life. The qualities of leadership found in this movie should be utilized by all leaders. If you poses
they great characteristics do not waste them, avail yourself of them. Everyone can be a leader,
but it takes a special person to be a great leader. So when life gives you lemons forget the sour
face and make lemonade. J Williams
17 again

This movie tells the story of a man, Mike O’Donnell, who is going through a divorce, cannot
connect with his kids, and was recently fired from his job. He blames all of the unhappiness in
his life around one central concept: getting his wife pregnant at 17 and deciding not to go to
college on a basketball scholarship. Mike is given the change to be 17 again to see if he would
do things differently a second time around. Instead he takes this opportunity to enroll as a
student at their school so he can be one of their peers. Through this, Mike can actually step
back and see the challenges his kids face on a daily basis. Nobody knows who he actually is, so
Mike faces many leadership challenges…. In addition to leading others, Mike also learns a lot
about leading himself. At the beginning of this story, Mike believes that if he had gone to
college he would be completely happy with his life. If he had gone to college, he would have
had a better job. If he had a better job, he would not have fought with his wife so much and
they would not have split up. If he was still with his wife, he kids would not resent him as much.
Instead of realizing that he is in charge of his own destiny, Mike chooses to blame all the things
in his life on not going to college. This journey that Mike takes teaches him that he needs to
focus on the good things and lead himself to a happier life. During this experience Mike sets a
few goals for himself: To be closer to his kids and to get his wife back. He accomplishes both of
these by not giving up. When his daughter does not want his help, he tries new ways to get
across to her. Through helping her, he also makes himself happier. While making his children
happy is very important to him, winning is wife back is just as important. It is just as important
to lead yourself as it is to lead others. M Michaelsen
I can do bad all by myself

Considering the transaction theory and how both leaders and followers are equally important,
Sandino would not have been able to prove his role as a leader without the trust of April and the
children. Followers give leavers the ability to lead, and symbiotically leaders give followers an
outlet for change, for individual growth. The children felt irrelevant, and April felt stuck; it was
through Sandino’s determination that harmonizes their lives. Attitudes are contagious, and
Sandino could have let the negativity of others discourage him, but he held true to his purpose.
Sandino’s gentle strength allowed for the erosion of the walls built through the years of selfpunishment by April and the children. S Johnson
Miracle of St Anna

The movie Miracle at St. Anna illustrated how being a good leader can really impact an
individual’s life. A leader does not have to try to impact those around them, their actions and
beliefs should be those that followers would want to adopt an incorporate into their daily lives.
Miracle at St. Anna proves that if you surround yourself around positive things and people then
positive things are destined to come, regardless if you feel like you are on your dying bed.
Having the ability to leave an impact on those who put their trust in your to lead them, is a
reward within itself to any leader. L Stout
Faith in my fathers

To be a leader you must be compelling enough that people would be willing to risk something to
follow you. John McCain was willing to sacrifice happiness, comfort, and his life for his leaders.
Having learned leadership under his military legend grandfather and father, Admiral and later
Commander in the Navy, John demonstrated the same key principles of leadership. Military
structures all around the world have trained some of the most important leaders in history. The
key to success in any military setting is a code of honor that all levels of command adhere to
primarily. Having a famous military family, John had two choices, excel or crack under the
immense pressure. In Vietnam, John McCain displayed an honor code: courage, honesty,
integrity; while being tested at every level T Martin

The inspiration he was given came from his father during his prep school days, “It’s all about
character, that’s what it’s always been about in the end.” John took this as his motivation in
school, the military, and life. Whether or not you like the politics of John McCain, you cannot
deny what happened to him and so many other prisoners of war. The demonstrations of his
honor code portrayed in the movie are true stories of heroism. John’s actions can teach
everyone about honor in forms of courage, honesty, and integrity. After everything was taken
from John, his family, safety, food, comfort, and so much more, the only thing he was able to
keep was his honor system. In the end, that is all that matters. T Martin
Gran Torino

The key leadership issues in this movie are change and enabling others to act from that change.
Walt gives the teens a variety of chances to show they’ve changed, to prove themselves and
encourages them to be better in many aspects of life. And at the same time, Tao and Sue are
doing the reciprocal for him. They are watching out for his best interests as well as helping him
dissolve his prejudice and discriminations. Another defining moment in the movie was when
Tao’s house is being shot at and in walks Sue brutally beaten and raped. Walt knows that Tao
and Sue will never truly change with the gang life always around them, so he decides to take it
upon himself to the change their outcome. Walt knows the severity and how dangerous the
gang is, but is also a hardened soldier himself from his military experience. Walt in a way accepts
that he has fulfilled his life, and decides that it’s up to him to put an end to the gang that has
gradually destroyed his neighborhood. Enraged about his house being shot up, Tao wants to kill
his cousin, but Walt, as a leader, looks at the big picture and knows Tao has his whole life ahead
of him. M O’Conner
Gattaca

Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re probably right. How often we (or others) can talk
ourselves out of our dreams, demean our strongest abilities, and let low expectations guide our
course. A leader recognizes the smallest capabilities in a person and empowers one, with
guidance and accountability, to success. In Gattaca, an individual reaches his highest potential
through belief in the significance of his own faculty and leadership. The movie may be best
described using a quote from A.A. Milne, and so it goes: you are braver than you believe,
stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. Leadership is when we can influence
others to believe that in themselves – only then can we achieve the most. M Remec
Where the wild things are

Each wild thing has their own idiosyncrasy; they are constantly bickering and quarreling with
one another over childish antics. It is apparent from the start that there is no organization,
authority, or respect given to any individual in the group. Each wild thing is in search of
someone or something to rely on for direction, and the absence of this ultimately brings chaos
and frustration. The group dynamics are similar to how students act in a large lecture hall
without direction, expectation, and supervision. It is clear that what this community is solely
missing, or at least what they think they are missing is a leader, or a king. E Gotta

Where I found leadership, and where I feel it should be shown more often, was in a children's
movie called Where The Wild Things Are. Most kids grow up being told to think realistically and
to do as they are told. This movie steps out of those boundaries, and creates a world that
encourages children to dream big and be fearless. D Nommay
Max’s ability to inspire hope in the monsters. He had the ability to inspire them that they would
soon be happy and content, no longer fighting each other. I think hope is a gift from leaders that
they must bring to their followers, it’s a sense of greater purpose, which dials in and activates
followers. Think of President Barack Obama’s book ‘Audacity of Hope’, this book inspired and
got on board with multitudes of people to elect our current President. Max had the ability to
relate to the monsters on multiple levels, another staple of leadership.M Parrish


“Let the wild rumpus begin!” are the five meaningful words that the young boy yelled when he
was crowned king. The movie, “Where the Wild Things Are” is about a misunderstood young boy
named Max. As a result of bad behavior, he runs away from home and reality to a place in his
imagination. In this fantasyland, he becomes the king of strange monster-like creatures called
“wild things”. He learns important life changing lessons of leadership such as initiative,
recognition, and equality and compassion of subordinates in order to survive. E Gotta

Throughout this adventure, Max learned many leadership lessons. He learned that initiative is
important; he assumed the role of the leader to save his own life. When an opportunity to grow
and learn from an experience presents itself, sometimes you need to step forward and take it
regardless of how prepared you are. Max also learned to treat each individual with fairness and
not to pick favorites. A few of the wild things accused him of giving preferential treatment to
some, and even though he didn’t, he had to accept that others would view the situation
differently. Max also learned that even though his plan did not turn out exactly the way he
wanted it to, his impact on those he touched was significant and lasting. He found that overpromising and lying about strengths would soon be acknowledged, and you should not lead
people on false pretenses. Leadership involves caring, rewards, and recognition; he showed the
wild things that he genuinely cared about their welfare, and for a short while, they lost their
monster-like tendencies. Even though he made promises he could not keep, Max demonstrated
compassion for his subordinates and found that caring about not only what you want to
accomplish, but also the people you are leading will bring the goal closer to accomplishment. As
a result, Max was the first king that they never ate. E Gotta
Heavyweights

Heavy Weights,is a Disney film about over weight kids going to a camp to help them lose
weight, but instead of having the positive leadership they need in order to complete this task
they are given a leader that they cannot follow. In the movie Tony, the leader of the camp, gives
strict orders to follow. This is good leadership in which they know exactly what is expected of
them, but even with direct orders or advice the task must be feasible. The feasibility of his tasks
cannot be met and therefore cannot be followed. Some of the tasks include forcing them to go
on 20 mile hikes with no water, and climbing a rock face with their bare hands. These tasks are
tough regardless of the shape you are in, let alone an overweight adolescent.
In order to be an effective leader the tasks given must also be something that the follower must
believe in. This is very important in order to have success. The way the leader talks to his
followers in this film is not motivating nor is it presented in a way in which the followers want to
listen. This can cause problems because if their goal is not the same as yours, wires can get
crossed leading to poor performance. Tony uses negativity and shame to get his point across
causing the kids in the camp to lose hope and have no drive, and takes no advice or ideas from
any of the other counselors that have been there in the past. Using encouragement and all
resources available would provide a better idea of what is expected and how to accomplish that
goal. B Williams
Terminator: Salvation

The main leadership strategy applied by John Connor is to get his followers to come together
against a common enemy. This enemy is the machines who through their artificial intelligence
became self-aware and declared war against the human race. Uniting over a common enemy is
a very effective tactic for leadership. It helps to develop cohesiveness between the people who
are working together. A great real-life example of this can be found looking at a sports team.
The team's coach or captain often will use “us against them” tactics to get the team prepared for
the big game, and it's no different in other situations where leadership is needed. The common
enemy is an easy one to stand up against in this movie since the machines have been killing or
making slaves of the humans. In the movie, John Connor makes daily radio broadcasts to any
person who can hear him telling them to stay strong and keep fighting. These broadcasts have
helped to convince two individuals who had been fighting on their own to go off in search of
Connor. D Styf
Never back down

In conclusion, defining yourself as a leader requires you to rise above the hurdles that life
throws your way. Throughout the movie, Jake develops into a leader by climbing over and
fighting through every obstacle in his life, from the death of his father to the final battle against
Ryan. His leadership not only affected his followers but also himself; it showed him that he is
stronger than he originally believed, both physically and mentally. F Tadros
Rat race

In the beginning of the movie, the contestants are all randomly in Las Vegas, whether it be for
vacation, a conference, their home, or a family reunion. Whilst the contestants are in their
various locations in Vegas playing slots, they each receive a coin saying that they will be given a
once in a lifetime opportunity. This is the first part of my leadership analysis. The soon-to-be
contestants each are faced with the option of whether or not to take this “once in a lifetime”
opportunity. We have learned and heard so much in class about taking an opportunity when
given one. The first step to being a leader, is seizing opportunities that you have, especially to
lead. These contestants all soon learn about the race to the train station and the $2 million
dollar prize to the first person to get there. At a moments notice, the contestants are told to
“go,” meaning to start, and this is where the race begins. T Ellis
Twilight

What is the difference between a successful person and everyone else? A successful person will
set a goal then identify and accept the sacrifices and lifestyle changes necessary to accomplish
his or her goal. Failure is not an option when a person believes in his or her goal wholeheartedly. The vampires in the movie Twilight embody what it means to be successful. Instead
of allowing their very nature and others of their kind to dictate how they live their lives, they
chose to live a lifestyle free of violence and cruelty. Their journey to living a “vegetarian” and
“normal” lifestyle was not achieved overnight. Through decades of sacrifices, patience and
perseverance, the Cullen family is able to live among humans and contribute as members of the
community. S Schroeder
Into the Wild

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to drop everything you know and follow your
wildest dreams? Most of us only dream about the things we would do if we had nothing at all to
hold us back. That is what set Christopher McCandles apart from the rest of us. He let go of
everything he had grown comfortable with to get what he really wanted out of life: to test
himself and get to know the real him …. He enlightened every soul he met along the way,
freeing them and helping them to let go of the rules by which society governs our happiness.
Not only did he share his message; he lived it. Most importantly, he left it with everyone he
encountered and everyone who heard about his story. In a world where so much is taken for
granted, it’s leaders like Chris who remind us of who we are and allow us to find our purpose in
this life. They encourage us to ask all the forbidden questions, and seek all the righteous
answers on our way to a higher understanding. To lead the path of another, you must first
define your own. M Reeves
The Recruit

A leader should surround themselves around the best capable people in order to have the best
chances in succeeding. Surrounding yourself with the best also helps you look better while also
helping your followers to achieve. C Zumot
That’s it that’s all

The producers created a mission of the movie, which is to create a snowboard film that opens
the doors to the possibilities, give a new perspective on the sport, and aspire to bring you closer.
This displays leadership because even before during and after the production of the film they
had a vision and mission of what they wanted to accomplish…. Everything about That’s It, That’s
All had a deeper meaning of leadership; from the production of the film to the featured
snowboarders. This can be taken, analyzed, and carried over into everyday lives. One common
thing that all aspects of the movie had was passion. With all the passion and effort an inspiring
film was created. A main thing to take from this is to always do what you love, for it will allow a
fulfilling and satisfying life. That’s it, that’s all! J Lanciotti
I Heart Huckabees

As a follower, you are expected to trust your leader, but if you want to be a leader do you have
to trust others? Or is it your job to throw trust out the window and question everything? This
situation is one that Albert Markovski struggles with in the movie I Heart Huckabees. Albert is
striving to become a leader in a movement known as “Open Spaces” however, another
character, Brad Stand, has showed the type of leadership that many people crave and he has
taken over the movement. Albert wants to be a good leader so he takes matters into his own
hands and seeks help to find out more about his own life. The entire movie shows various types
of leadership; from Albert seeking ways to take control to Brad appealing to people’s wants to
gain their support. K Schnur
The Informant

Have you ever been thrown into a leadership role? Did you let your position change your ideals
or did your ideals change your position? The informant is true story of how one man was
balancing different positions of leadership and how they conflicted with each other…. a lack of
leadership can provide an ever escalating environment for corruption B Endsley
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Overall, while this film is a great example of mediocre leadership and how the transfer of that
leadership can maintain homeostasis between two individuals and their lives, it also shows how,
although leadership can be cultivated or rise out of someone through necessity, many times in
life it comes out in someone too late for them to grab hold of those opportunities that could
change their life. It is well demonstrated in this film that we can become better leaders through
leadership transfer with individuals that are on the same leadership level that we are, but that is
not the wisest path to take in bettering your leadership qualities or your life’s potential. You
may become a better leader, as Joel did through leadership transfer, emotional realization of
your desires and acting out of necessity to meet those desires, but just like in Joel’s case, you
may become a better leader after it’s too late to take advantage of that realized opportunity.
Once Joel realized that he wanted to keep his memories, he fought and fought to prevent the
procedure going on in his head, but eventually had to accept the decision that he had made.
Other than his last actions to go back and spend his last moments with Clementine in his
memories, this was probably the biggest growth his character saw in leadership throughout the
entire film. He accepted the consequences of his actions and in his last memories of Clementine
she says, “This is it Joel. It’s going to be gone soon…what do we do?” in which he simply
responds in an accepting matter of fact voice, “We enjoy it.” J Garner
What’s eating Gilbert Grape

A mentally handicapped brother, a father who hunged himself, a morbidly obese mother who
hadn’t left the house in seven years, and an affair with a married woman in the hopeless small
town of Endora, Idaho; not exactly the conventional environment one would expect to produce
a leader, or a sane person for that matter. The movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape followed the
character of Gilbert Grape, a young man in his twenties, who lived in just this environment.
Though he had the potential to be a leader, Gilbert was not heroic, nor was he extraordinary.
Gilbert’s potential to be a leader was shown through the way he handled his relationships; it
glimmered but faded again being stifled by the unfortunate circumstances of his life. This life
became such a monotonous routine of protecting, caring for, and pleasing others that he was
figuratively sleeping through it. People like Gilbert have the choice to allow such a life to engulf
and devour them, or to use their adversities as tools to create opportunities for them. Sleeping
through life can cause people to lose themselves by failing to see opportunities, bottling up
resentment, and shutting out personal hopes and dreams. J Kizinski

This is the struggle that Gilbert faces each day, whether he should live the life he feels obligated
-to live, supporting and protecting his family. Or, escaping his current life, starting a new one
and fulfilling his dreams.R Churchard
La Vita é Bella

La Vita é Bella ..has a surprisingly upbeat demeanor with regards to such a depressing topic.
The main character inspires all who watch the movie due to his relentless exuberance during
such a terrible time in history. One can learn of the character of a superior leader from Guido.
He has such a positive outlook on life, cleverness, determination, and motivation techniques
leaders must have to succeed in guiding others. Guido is a mentor to all leaders, enjoy life to its
fullest and encourage yourself and others to be exceptional. J Hoffman
Rize

The importance of Krumping and Clowning is extreme. These two dance forms are bringing
young adults together not to fight, kill or do drugs, but to dance. Dancing is an alternative to
gang participation in these South Central Los Angeles neighborhoods. Only until recently have
children and young adults had the opportunity to choose between violence and dancing. Before
Krumping and Clowning the only option for a child was to choose what gang he/ she was going
to be associated with. Nowadays, it’s either gangs or dancing and an overwhelming amount of
bright children are choosing dancing. This is mainly because of the leadership, peer respect and
toughness that are involved with this type of expression of dance. M Ghigliazza
Nanee McPhee

What are you going to do if you have seven children who are terrible troublemakers in your
house? Are you going to handle them by yourself or look for nanny to take care and correct their
behavior? However, even if you choose the option of having a nanny, it will be hard to find a
nanny that has the right skills and abilities to take care of seven children. Each child is unique
and needs different way of care and attention. Only a nanny with great leadership skills will be
able to effectively handle and take care of the children. A nanny with bad leadership skills such
as lack of communication and self-centeredness would not be able to accomplish the task of
taking care of seven children successfully. In the movie Nanny McPhee, the characteristics of
both good and bad leadership are shown. The movie reveals to us that not all good leadership
involves power, authority, and strength, but consists of tenderness, understanding, and great
consideration, even to the smallest, trivial things. J Baek
The Princess and the Frog

Many young girls aspire to be a princess when they grow up and Disney makes that dream seem
attainable to their young audiences with all of the Disney princess movies that have come out in
the last two decades. When one thinks of “Disney Princesses” they automatically think of
Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine. What do these princesses
have in common? All of them, except for Jasmine, are white woman. Snow White, Sleeping
Beauty, Ariel, and Jasmine were born princesses and have lived in a palace their whole life. All of
these princesses end up getting their prince and spend their “happily ever after” in a castle.
Young girls all over the world are familar with these classic princess stories and probably have
made unrealistic expectations about life, love, and dreams. Are these princesses good leaders
for young girls? Some of the princesses are hardworking, such as Cinderella, and some are loyal,
such as Belle. However, the newest Disney princess, Tiana, is a great leader for young girls
because she starts off with nothing but a simple dream and does whatever she can to make her
dream come true. L Trock

A few years ago, Disney announced that they were going to be coming out with a new princess
movie, “The Princess and the Frog.” However, this princess story would be slightly different from
previous Disney princess movies. Princess Tiana is Disney’s first African American princess and
never actually lives in a palace or castle. However, she does live a “happily ever after.” Tiana’s
dream was to own a restaurant that her father and her have dreamed about ever since she was
a little girl. She comes across many obstacles in her life but never loses sight of that dream. She
works two waitress jobs (one restaurant in the morning and one diner in the evening) bringing
home barely enough money to survive. Although her friends in town frequently ask her to come
hang out with them at night, Tiana refuses to stop working. Her friends begin to talk about her
and make Tiana feel like an outcast. When her mom tells her to stop working so hard, Tiana
replies, “This old town can slow you down, people taking the easy way but I know exactly where
I'm going. I’m getting closer and closer every day.” Even when Tiana finally earns enough money
to buy the building for her dream restaurant, the realtors, two older white men, tell Tiana that
“someone with your background” should go for a different dream. Just like Kirk Weisler said
during his speech, you should not be hanging around with people that “dim your light.” Her
friends do not believe in her, nor do the realtors. Tiana makes another good point about this
when she says, “People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care. Trials and tribulations, I've
had my share. There ain't nothing gonna stop me now 'cause I'm almost there.” A good role
model and leader demonstrates the determination and the discipline that is needed to get what
they want in their life. Tiana also portrays great leadership by constantly having a positive
attitude and outlook. Even when she is working her butt off while at work, she continues to
portray a positive energy and enthusiasm to her customers. A leader should not let others see
their weakness. Even when a person is feeling tired, they should not show it. People will not
want to follow a person if they show weakness. L Trock

Although Tiana is similar to other princesses (getting the prince in the end), her “palace” ends
up being her restaurant. She never lives in a castle, unlike the other Disney princesses. This
demonstrates to young girls that not all fairy tales and “happily ever afters” have to end with a
castle. As Tiana’s dad once said, “Fairytales can come true, you gotta make them happen. It all
depends on you.” Life will not always be easy but we must continue to fight against the
obstacles. We have the ability to help others discover who they want to become. “The Princess
and the Frog” is a great leadership movie because it demonstrates that we are capable of
achieving our life goals and dreams if we have the right attitude and determination, no matter
our gender, race, or age. Everyone has dreams and as Walt Disney once said, “All dreams can
come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” L Trock
Without Limits

A different dimension of Pre’s leadership in the movie is represented through his relationship
with his teammates. Pre pushes himself during every practice and race to be the best. When Pre
works to improve his abilities, it challenges the other members of the team to improve as well.
By consistently pushing each other and working as a team each individual benefits by becoming
better than they originally were. This type of leadership is extremely effective in sports due to
their competitive nature. Competition gives people the ability to push themselves to their limit,
or at least what they believe is their limit. Showing those you are leading that you are willing to
work hard and that you are able to challenge your limits empowers them to do the same.
Leadership in this form is not merely a learned skill, but a passionate action. J Matyus
Couples retreat

Overall, this group of friends can be considered the parts of a leadership team and the roles of
each member play a crucial role is how the team operates. Just like in the real world, there can
be different types of leaders found in many group/team situations. Although, Couples Retreat is
a comedy film, leadership shines through each of the main character’s personalities. It proves
that each member of a team, whether they are a good leader or not, that they play key roles to
contributing to the overall outcome. The key for a group to effectively complete a task and work
through the problem solving process is to allow each team member to display their qualities. By
studying leadership and the different roles associated with it, it becomes very clear how well a
team will work together. Truth be told, a team is only as good as its leaders. K Shelburn

Marcel accomplished his goal and the couple’s goals of trying to get them to live happily
together, instead of just surviving together. Each couple left their homes content with their
lives, but not thrilled with any one area in it. Now, they are leaving the resort with a newfound
happiness in their life that will trickle down to effect the rest of their families and those around
them. Mission successful. E Driehorst

Vince Vaughn’s lack of appreciation in his marriage reinforces the class presentation by Kirk
Weisler regarding appreciation and one other class lesson regarding validation. Kirk mentioned
how rare a handwritten note has become and he also mentioned that many people will actually
keep hand written notes for years after they have received kind words from someone. In class,
by telling a student that she is smart or funny or by simply clapping for her, it showed that the
class valued her abilities. Likewise, Vince Vaughn’s movie wife was not hoping for an extravagant
gesture, but only a simple message from her husband that showed he valued and appreciated
her. Why has appreciation become so rare? Showing appreciation and validation is not a lost art,
it can be recovered, and it just takes reminders like these to keep people on track. Feeling
validated and appreciated makes life worthwhile because we can try and fail every single day,
but if we know that our efforts matter and that what we’ve done has made even the slightest
difference, we will continue to have the courage to try again tomorrow. … Exceptional listening
can most often solve appreciation, balance, and nurturing issues before they even arise. From
Kirk, class presentations, and leaders in life, it is safe to say that no matter how hard you may be
listening, you can always listen more. Listen to your heart, conscience, mentors, followers,
peers, and also children. As Vince Vaughn said, “Listen to their story,” and stay tuned-in so that
with focus and effort we can become outstanding leaders. C Heaphy
Tommy Boy

Tommy Boy is a film about a young man, who has grown up with a sense of entitlement and a
lack of drive and work ethic. Tommy remains in college for seven years, not because he is
pursuing a degree in medicine, but because he lacks the motivation to graduate, feeling that his
father will provide for him the rest of his life. When Tommy’s father, the owner of a small brake
pad company dies unexpectedly, all eyes are on Tommy to keep the company afloat. No one
has high hopes for Tommy, including him, but how he reacts surprises himself and all those
around him and also demonstrates what it takes to be a strong, yet unconventional leader J
Moore

“Think chicken wings…” a surprisingly simple, but honestly the most epic line of the movie
Tommy Boy. This line most closely relates to the famous leadership speaker, Kirk Weisler’s,
phrase known as “the big moo.” In other terms, what drives you? What makes you the best at
your craft that you possibly can bee? Tommy Boy goes through a cinematic self realization of
what drives him; he takes that knowledge and accomplishes great things, something we all hope
to do in our lives (our “big moo”). K Hilbert

Some leaders can simply get up in front of a group and put what drives them in one sentence.
With some hope, their followers agree with that statement and can relate to their personal
drive. But what makes Tommy Boy a complex, realistic and impressive representation of
leadership is that Tommy attacks his leadership in multiple aspects. His drive comes from many
areas; the fact that there is multiple driving forces means there are more chances of his drive
coinciding with what his workers also feel, therefore increasing his effectiveness as a leader by
being able to relate to a larger portion of his worker base. Also, an area of his leadership that
makes him so affective and strong is the fact that he has a passion for what he is doing. This
stems for his close and loving relationship with his father, and the need to meet the
expectations he left. The product that Tommy is selling is not what drives him, but the need to
fulfill his dead father’s expectations and the expectations of his “family” (workers in the plant, as
Tommy stated in the movie) are what make his quality of work the best that it can be. This
personal drive and attachment is all symbolized in his “chicken wing” revelation, he realizes
what his personal attachment is to the situation, something we should all strive for in leadership
situations in our own lives, if you do not make it important to you, you will not be able to
accomplish all that you can from that task. K Hilbert
Brothers

How much of our behavior is ordained by nature and how much is dictated by what others think
of us and expect from us? It is this question that this film explores. In a sense, we all tend to
cater to what is expected of us, but as in the film, life circumstances can deliver some surprises
that can uncover our true character….. A sudden change of events in his life has given him the
opportunity to be an anchor in this distraught family. He made the choice to better himself for
the welfare of others. That kind of choice revealed hidden character, true leadership qualities….
Who is the better man; the one who always knows his duty, but loses his way because of
extreme circumstance or one who never faced responsibility until extreme circumstances call on
him to step up? Whichever you choose, do so with the understanding that each tried and
succeeded at living up to what was expected of them and personal instincts. Each man showed
valor, courage and leadership when called to duty. Leadership is finding the courage to answer
the call.J Shaw
The Invention of Lying

When a leader, you are put into a position of power. What you chose to do with that power is a
choice every leader must make. Mark chooses to use his position for good and learns along his
journey what being a good leader entails M Ross

Mark Bellison was a nobody. People at work called him a loser and the woman he was madly in
love with said he was an unsuccessful fat man with a stub nose. …There is usually a happy
ending to most movies, including “The Invention of Lying,” where Mark Bellison starts as an
unsuccessful loser and turns into a rich and famous man who gets the woman of his dreams.
Except unlike most fairy tales, Bellison begins by telling a simple lie and everything starts going
his way. Lying is frowned upon in our world, but Bellison told lies that greatly benefited others
and showed that he is a leader. He exemplified his creativity and empathy that leaders must
have to be successful by thinking outside the norm and helping those in need. One of the most
important traits a leader should have is being trustworthy. Bellison showed his dying mother
and the world that he was trustworthy by making them feel comfortable about the “man in the
sky.” Though it is not the best way to show that you are a great leader, Bellison’s lies were not
those that would only benefit him, but they benefitted other people. K Yuanim
First Wives Club

The ladies of the First Wives Club took the pain from the negative situations they had
experienced in their past, and helped lead others through their personal and difficult situations.
They used the weaknesses of their past, that they had overcome, to make themselves stronger
and in turn, make the people they were helping to rebuild stronger. Through their diverse
circumstances, they could relate to the people that were looking to them for leadership. This
connected them as an organization and gave them a common goal. M Mills
The Chronicles of Narnia: Price Caspian

It’s important to have a clear and unified vision for the future that everyone can get behind.
Simply motivating people to continue what they’re doing, whether that’s simply living or
continuing a job, isn’t going to move anyone to greatness. By providing that hope for something
greater you can truly motivate people to go above and beyond in the hopes that they’ll be able
to create that better future for themselves, and hopefully for your organization. N Howell
GI Joe

General Hawk demonstrates how he is an outstanding leader from the very beginning of this
film. His team is made up of highly dedicated and driven individuals that he hand picked to
represent and defend his organization. Duke is a perfect representation of how General Hawk
selects his team members. The commander admired how dedicated and devoted Duke was to
his initial military mission of transporting the nanomite missiles and how he would not give up
under any circumstances. General Hawk asked Duke to join the G.I Joes and represent his team.
This hand picked selection of the Joes, by the commander, clearly pays off throughout the film.
Also we see great leadership traits in General Hawk when he stands up for his team after being
confronted by an opposing officer. This shows the confidence that he has in his team and
provides security and reassurance for the G.I. Joes. Valuing his team’s opinions is another
leadership trait that we see throughout the entire film. During their briefings General Hawk is
interested in what they know and acknowledges their expertise when formulating strategies for
future missions. By involving the members of the G.I. Joes in the planning and delegation of
missions, General Hawk is uniting the team as one. M Mannix

“When All Else Fails, They Don't,” is the motto of the G.I. Joes. Duke shows his leadership skills
through actions in intense situations. He does not think about what a leader should or would
do. He does what a leader does, and that is take charge. With Duke’s strong leadership traits
such as emotional stability, team orientation, and selfless service, the G.I. Joe mission is a
success. Originally not a part of the G.I. Joe team, General Hawk decides he will be a crucial part
of their team. Hawk sees that Duke is strong, focused, determined, and informative; all crucial
parts to the G.I. Joe team. Duke becomes a vital part of the team and contributes to the
success of the G.I. Joe mission. C Loss
Philadelphia

Andrew Beckett feels faint and excuses himself from the courtroom. He is now a former shell of
himself, requiring a cane to walk and maintaining a sickly pale white complexion. As he rises,
the pain and fatigue that has taken its toll on his body over the past few months is too much,
and he crashes to the ground as his friends and family rush to his side. The reason Andrew has
fainted is due to the side effects of the AIDS disease he has contracted, and the reason he is in
the court room is because he has brought a wrongful termination case against his former
employer due to them firing him in response to his contraction of AIDS. In a time when
prejudice against the gay community was at its height, and AIDS was a the most frightening new
disease known to man, one man was brave enough to stand up and lead the fight against a
corporation that had performed injustices to him. Though it began as a personal fight, Andrew
ends up not only fighting for justice for himself, but leading a fellow lawyer along with an entire
community. Not only does Andrew lead by example in this movie, but he also brings out the
good leadership qualities in others while illuminating the bad leadership qualities of some. C
Bradford

Though obviously Andrew had not planned this, his leadership qualities and initiative had
inspired somebody else enough to believe and join his cause. Andrew had his first follower.
Simply agreeing to legally represent Andrew in the case would not be the only change of heart
the lawyer would have in the course of the movie. As the lawyer witnessed Andrew’s courage
and other attributes usually interwoven with leaders, it changed his view of an entire
community by the end of the film. This inspiration did not end with his lawyer. As
demonstrated in the film, Andrew became a pioneer of bravery when it came to embracing his
lifestyle and revealing his sexual orientation. He inspired others to do the same. As great
leaders can often do, Andrew had affected those around him in a deep and life-changing way. C
Bradford
The Hangover

A true leader stands out in any situation, whether it is a professional situation or in a group of
friends. ….Without Phil, the guys would not have been able to successfully piece together their
night and make it back in time for the Doug’s wedding. L Racine

Another leadership quality displayed by Phil is his ability to placate his followers. In this stressful
situation, when the other two men are about to enter full-out panic mode, Phil recognizes those
feelings, acknowledges their concerns, and says the appropriate things to calm them. Without a
stable party to lean on, the whole situation would quickly have gone to pieces. We saw in class
how quickly a group can fall apart when there is no leader, and in this extreme circumstance the
ability to remain composed, and compose other people, is a gift. W Snell
Precious…

The Lets Cheer Me Up award goes to Ms. Hunter for..
I found myself asking, why does she not have a person to help lead her in the correct path?
Why does an individual have to go through SO much to get to where they want in life? Why is
Precious’ mother NOT stepping in to be the role/job of a good mother?? Precious was raped by
her biological father at a young age. The result of this was that Precious gave birth to not one,
but two children from her father. Her mother, Mary, claimed that Precious stole ‘her man’ away
from her and begun to verbally & physically assault Precious over the years. Not long after, Mary
began to sexually assault Precious as well.
. Ultimately, I feel that the leadership issue in this film was to show how effective one leader can
be to another person. It only takes one person to change another person’s life. With that said,
has anyone changed your life lately? E Hunter
District 9

The film opens with an excellent illustration of the same problem that the CSR 309 class had at
the beginning of the semester. As stated in the film, “They have lost all leadership that they
had…presumably by illness”, and this absence of leadership explains the situation well. With no
leadership there is chaos, confusion, and anger. The film shows a montage of the creatures
fighting over food and other items, killing each other and living in poverty. Because of this
inability or willingness to recruit leaders, the aliens’ lives are stagnant, never moving towards
progress or a way to get to their home planet. Also as a result of no leadership, a human
becomes an integral part of the alien community. J Grigsby
Ask not

The 20th century saw some of the most significant human rights activists in American history.
These leaders brought together mass amounts of citizens who felt their rights were being
compromised. People such as Martin Luther King Jr., Harvey Milk, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and
West Lafayette’s own Cleve Jones stuck with their convictions and became some of the greatest
American leaders of our time. They each had similar strategies in terms of leadership; breaking
through the barrier to gain attention and be so compelling that others followed in their similar
cause. They all shared an ability to keep their followers in line, and maintain the path toward the
goal. Although they all had their individual issues when being thrown into the leadership role,
their management of their masses through establishing respect, initiative, courage, and various
other compelling personal traits contributed to their success. A Bolander

As with many politically active leaders, Symons battle remains unpopular. His ability to gather
“troops” and attack the very foundation in which we live show his ambition to change society
for the better. His leadership goes beyond that of a single group of followers, but toward a
lasting impression for those that follow his generation. He has been able to find those with
similar minds across the country, and unite them into a single battle against DADT. His greatest
attribute as a leader is taking the risk of putting our current government ideology in to question,
and putting everything in jeopardy for the good of those that follow him. Although his struggle
is the range at which this movie will be viewed; if he continues to follow the same
characteristics of the great 20th century human rights leaders he too will be included in the
history books. A Bolander
License to wed

Driving blindfolded was the best example of communication and trust. When a person is driving
like this, they obviously cannot see, so they need the person with eyes to clearly communicate
what all to do. Without having clear communication within your organization, you’re company
will not succeed. If you can’t communicate to your workers what you expect from them, give
feedback, and have them trust in your goals and visions, it will be a very bumpy road ahead! L
Riggs

The last leadership skill I would like to address is love. Overall, throughout the movie Reverend
Frank wanted to show that love was the greatest of all. Even in the bible in Corinthians it says
faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love! The couple in this movie had many
difficult circumstances and obstacles to get through, that really challenged their commitment to
each other. However, in the end their love revealed to them that obstacles and imperfections
are going to be around, but can you show your love and keep the passion to conquer the
obstacles. This is also important in the work field. Your employees are going to mess up every
now and then, the company will have its obstacles; but in the midst of all of it are you going to
show love and help them or are you going to just fire them. In order to lead, a person needs a
passion for what they’re doing and love for others. This can sometimes be hard, because we
think it would be easier to point fingers, but really the truth is, we need to point the finger at
ourselves. How can we help our employees to do better, how can we be an encouragement,
how can we help them to succeed; this is a very important leadership skill to have L Riggs
Dear John

Throughout the film Dear John, leadership skills and aspects of being a great leader are seen
indirectly. The idea of leadership is not the main focus of this movie, but it is obvious that John
and Savannah can be seen as the leader figures in the film. Whether dealing with the idea of the
hardships of war, or keeping a relationship from falling apart, leadership has been proven in this
movie to be beneficial in the end. John and Savannah worked together throughout Dear John to
be in a relationship, as well as help out the people in their lives who meant the most to them. “I
finally understood what true love meant...love meant that you care for another person's
happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be." This
quote comes directly from the film and was a result of John and Savanna’s strong leadership
together.S Weber
Best Life Advise Award to Ms. Kizinski for:

Furthermore, people should not let resentment from their past hold them back from their
futures
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

In this movie, Ferris exemplifies many characteristics of a great leader. He is extremely
confident, is very charismatic, and can be very persuasive. When he speaks directly to the
camera at the beginning and throughout the movie, it shows that he is in charge of the movie
and of everything going on in his life. He will do what he wants, when he wants and will not let
anything stand in his way. L Becked
Peter Pan

Many know the character Peter Pan. He is the young boy who never wished to grow up that ran
way to a magical place called Neverland where he learned to fly, befriended Indians, had a best
friend who was a fairy, and led a group of “Lost Boys”. He has an arch nemesis by the name of
Captain Hook, a cruel pirate captain who continuously fails at accomplishing his goal of “getting
even” with Peter for cutting off his left hand. Why did Captain Hook continue to fail? Why was
Peter Pan always successful? The two characters had two completely different leadership
characteristics, one that worked and one that failed. In Disney’s 1953 classic animated film
“Peter Pan” these different leadership characteristics such as confidence, ability to make things
fun, and loyalty to ones followers are outlined and clearly show why Peter Pan is a successful
leader, and why Captain Hook is not…. The title of this paper posed a question, who is the better
leader, Peter Pan or Captain Hook? Peter Pan shows qualities that make him clearly the winner
of this debate. He has a high sense of self confidence that inspires confidence within his
followers. He has the ability to turn work into play, which makes tasks more likely to be
accomplished and accomplished well as his followers enjoy the work given to them. Lastly, he
has a high sense of loyalty to his followers. This creates a stronger loyalty bond to him, and
therefore more likely for his followers to want to follow his lead. Captain Hook doesn’t have
these leadership qualities, and it is demonstrated in the relationship (or lack thereof) he has
with his crew. Peter’s qualities not only make him a good leader on film, but are qualities that
good leaders in the real world express. By giving a Disney classic a new perspective we all can
learn to be better leaders from Peter Pan. H Baker
Surrogates

If you could choose your physical appearance right down to your sex, would you? In the
futuristic world of “Surrogates”, the human population exists only as a robot version of
themselves. Never leaving their homes to venture out in the real world, all business and social
activities are done by the surrogate of choice. Crime rates are down by 98 percent and there has
not been a murder in over ten years. Surrogates create an idyllic world where fear, pain, crime
and consequences are nonexistent. Everyone is living at peace with their surrogates, but can you
really call it living? Though society had been nearly depleted by surrogate technology gone
gravely amiss, FBI agent, Tom Greer, shows great persistence, remarkability, and responsibility.
S Jeffries
He’s just not into you
“Connie, do you know why that little boy did those things? Because he likes you.”
“If a guy acts like a total jerk that means he likes you.”
“He’s totally gonna call.”
“- Maybe he lost my number or is out of town or got hit by a cab…
…Or maybe he is not interested in seeing you again?”
 And the list goes on with reasons and excuses that us girls hear from our friends about why a
guy is not interested in us. The sad thing about all of this is that we believe it. When will you
actually look into your own situation and see the actual truth? - A Mussche

There is a scene in the movie when he is talking to his wife telling her that all he wants in life
was to be with her, not her surrogate. He told her what he expected from her which is the first
step in the leading others. He also made the task doable. His wife could stop using the surrogate
if she wanted to, it was a doable task. The next step is rewarding people. Towards the end of the
movie when the surrogates we’re gone, and he and his wife we’re in the same room, he
rewarded her with a kiss. This kiss was the best reward she could get because she could actually
feel the love in the kiss, and not just live it through the surrogate. He gave her feedback on how
great it was to be able to hold each other, and not live through the surrogates. Z Mayner
2012

“My fellow Americans this will be the last time I address you. As you know, catastrophe has
struck our nation, has struck the world. I wish I could tell you we could prevent the coming
destruction. We cannot. Today, none of us are strangers. Today, we are one family stepping in
to the darkness together. We are a nation of many religions, but I believe these words reflect
the spirit of all our faiths: The lord is my shepherd, I shall…”(2012, 2009) What would you think
if the leader of the free world came on television and said this before the end was near knowing
that it was coming? That is what President Wilson did in the movie 2012. What is it that we as
American’s look for in a president, who is supposed to lead this nation? He should be the best
leader that we have in this country. The movie 2012 had many different stories that related to
leadership. The biggest leadership issue in the movie was the government’s, not only the United
States, but of all the countries not leading their people. C Meade

After the team has accepted this knowledgeable leader this person needs to have rational
expectations that can be accomplished. Carl Anheuser is the chief advisor to the President who
was in charge of the worlds’ contingency plan to preserve life on the planet if this global natural
disaster was to occur. Carl was a man who had high expectations, but did his best to set
reasonable expectations to save the most lives that he could. Had he pushed harder and set
unrealistic goals for his team, in this case global governments across the world, they may not
have been prepared for the impending disaster. Once these goals are set they need to be
communicated or even the best laid plans will never be put into action. M Sebert

When establishing leadership the leader must establish that they are knowledgeable; if a leader
is to be followed. When the leader is knowledgeable about a situation, security is given that the
best solution to a problem will be given. In “2012”, we see how hard it is to lead people when
your facts do not seem knowledgeable or credible. When Jackson Curtis first realizes what is
happening to the Earth he panics and doesn’t clearly inform his ex-wife and children as to how
he knows what is happening so they don’t listen to him when he comes to take them away from
the dangerous area. It’s only after what he tries to explain to his family is going to happen,
happens; does his family starts to follow him and listen to what needs to be done. Without his
family (team) believing that he is knowledgeable and credible do they finally follow his lead and
escape from the catastrophic disaster that would have surely killed them all. M Ebert

Fast-forward two years. The year is 2012, this is the year the Mayan Calendar predicts the end of
the world due to natural disaster. In the movie “2012” Dr. Adrian Helmsley finds himself in a
huge leadership position he neither asked for or wanted.. His mission is to assure the continuity
of the human race. Dr. Helmsley is in a very unique position throughout the film he must lead
from a position in which he is not of the highest command. He has superiors to report to and
this film portrays three very key concepts about leadership. First, how to deal with constant
changing situations and problems that arise in those situations. Second, it is not always the
person with the most power that must be the best leader. Third, when an opportunity arises to
lead from the front and no longer from the shadows do not hesitate, have confidence and know
you are as qualified as anyone else around you. In times of crisis a good leader makes decisions
on the go and later comes up with a reason for that decision. S Paliska

Everyone can be a leader, but not everyone can be a good leader. Of the many leadership roles
seen throughout the movie, all of the great leaders exemplified the same characteristics: they
care about the people they are leading, they care about the well being of the group more than
that of themselves, they talk to their followers on a personal level and listen to what they have
to say, they are firm in their beliefs and values, they have faith in others and act on that faith by
giving people important responsibilities, and they are constantly trying to learn and grow by
surrounding themselves with smarter, more creative people than themselves. They truly
believe that the group can accomplish amazing things and that each and every individual
contributes an irreplaceable piece to the puzzle. N Peterson

“No matter what happens, we’ll all stay together.” …..What I have learned from this quote and
John portraying a leader is that a good leader will give his employees confidence to succeed, or
in Johns case, his family. He is letting his family know he is there for them and that if anything
were to happen he will be there. This is very similar to a leader telling his employees that if they
need anything or are in trouble that he will be there for them. I believe that a leader has to be
supportive and confident because all of the people below the leaders look up to them. As a
leader you don’t want to act weak or confused because then everyone below you that looks up
to you won’t know what to do because they need a leader to lead them in the right direction. E
Garth

Dr. Adrian Helmsley in this scene was trying to convince Mr. Anheusar and the rest of the
countries to open their doors to their ship and let the people in. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is
Dr. Adrian Helmsley chief science advisor to the late President Wilson. We’ve all been forced to
make difficult decisions to save to human civilization. But to be human means to care for each
other and civilization means to work together to create a better life. If that’s true, then there’s
nothing human and nothing civilized about what we’re doing here. Ask yourselves, can we really
stand by and watch these people die? I read a quote two days ago. The author is probably dead
by now, but he said: ‘The moment we stop fighting for each other that’s the moment that we
lose our humanity.’ …Everybody out there had died in vain if we start our future with an act of
cruelty. What would you tell your children? What will they tell theirs” (2012, 2009)? Here is
someone who you can call a great leader. He wanted to make sure that everyone possible could
fit into the ships. He stood up for what was right. C Meade
The Taking of Pelham 123

The movie, Taking of Pelham, 123 shows how an ordinary person can become a hero/leader
when called upon R Konopasek
Best First Paragraph Award to Mr. Davis for
“Every day I thank the people of New York City for the things they do, but not until today did I
really know who I was thanking. Today you went to bat for the city of New York so tomorrow
the city of New York is going to go to bat for you. ” These were the words spoken to Gerald
Garber (Denzel Washington) by the Mayor of New York City after Mr. Garber successfully
apprehends Ryder (Jon Travolta), who was holding 18 train passengers hostage on the New York
subway. In the movie The Taking of Pelham 123, Mr. Garber starts off as an MTA employee
working rail control and ends up saving the lives of 16 civilians and securing ten million dollars of
New York’s money. When faced with a moment of adversity, Garber found something inside
himself that mirrors a great lesson taught by Kirk Weisler. A Davis

When Kirk Weisler’s fellow army rangers were quitting right next to him, he choose to
demonstrate one of his many great quotes, “When fear strikes, stand out.” With the lives of
innocent civilians in danger, Garber decided to “Stand Out” and was rewarded with the
forgiveness of his bribe acceptance. Kirk Weisler found his inner strength through the Army
Rangers and Walter Garber found his through saving the lives of innocent people, what are you
doing to find yours? A Davis

“Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have
greatness thrust upon them.” (William Shakespeare) Not everyone is elected into leadership
roles. Some have to dive into the position without any training or warning. Walter Garber was a
subway dispatcher, where there is not much call for leadership skills. He then answers a call
from the hijackers and is thrown into the role of a leader. This happens a lot in the workforce as
well. At times you may be the follower but have to step up and be the leader even though you
are not expected to. The leader may get sick, be unavailable or for whatever reason you need to
take charge just like Walter had to. When this happens, you cannot panic. You have to take
things how they come to you and work through the problems using your follows to help you
through the situation. S Deeg
Night of the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Authoritarian leaders provide clear expectations for what needs to be done, when it should be
done, and how it should be done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the
followers. Authoritarian leaders make decisions independently with little or no input from the
rest of the group. Abuse of this style is usually viewed as controlling, bossy, and dictatorial.
Authoritarian leadership is best applied to situations where there is little time for group
decision-making or where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group. An
example of an Authoritarian leadership style in the movie is General George Armstrong Custer.
Custer is locked up with the other exhibits from the American Museum of Natural History, and
while there he conceives a poor plan of attack. His plan is to scream "Attack!" and the exhibits
will jump out and attack. He doesn’t ask for advice from the group, but just orders the group
what the plan will be and when to attack. A Medley
Alice in Wonderland

While Alice is the main character of the movie two other women teach us about leadership.
The Red Queen is evil and controlling; she thinks everyone around her should be loyal because
she has the crown. All of her subjects, including her right hand man and lover, hate her. She
constantly faces the question, “is it better (as a leader) to be feared or to be loved?” She
ultimately decides it is better to be feared. On the other hand her sister, from whom she stole
the crown, is pure, beautiful, and nice; she is known as the White Queen. All of the people in
the land are loyal to her, even if they are otherwise detained in the Red Queen’s castle. The
White Queen shows that one must be firm but at the same time, kind and considerate to her
subjects. In the end, upon Alice’s slaying of the Jaberwokee, the leadership of the White Queen
prevailed, and order was restored to the kingdom. Leadership requires a balance of power that
the White Queen obviously displayed. The leader must rely on her subjects and capitalize on
their strengths for the betterment of the society. The Red Queen epitomized a bad leader,
taking advantage of each and every subject for her own personal enjoyment, ( at one point she
even used one of her prisoners as an ottoman) . A Heise

When it comes time to follow the leadership of any individual, many of us often fall down our
own rabbit hole of sorts. We may feel as if we have descended into another world. A world
dictated by a tyrant ruler who we cannot seem to break free from, even with our most valiant
efforts. We follow blindly, without fail, though we do not know why we are following. We are
certain a better leader exists, yet no one is willing to step forth and take on the task and lead by
example. So we continue to wait for a savior, who will lead us in a positive direction, out of
wonderland and into the real world. L Butler

Alice is praised by all for what she has done, decides to leave Underland and return home. Once
back at her engagement party she refuses her suitors hand and to the disappointment of her
family, informs them she needs not the support of a man to feel affirmed. Though, many may
take this as strange and peculiar her suitor’s father is drawn in by her take charge style and asks
her to be a partner in his business. Through her trials and tribulations in Underland Alice is
taught to be a great leader, and exudes that in her newly established personality. She has seen
what a good leader can accomplish, and what a bad leader cannot. She knows how it feels to be
led in a manner is not conducive to productivity, and can alter her own leadership style to aid
those around her in producing the greatest results L Butler
The Soloist

The role and definition of leadership is found in this movie. This movie shows a series of how
leadership can go through different stages in a person’s life, how becoming a leader can impact
others around you, and yourself, and how being a leader can build self character. If you can take
the time to make a difference, you will make the difference. A Morris

One lesson portrayed in this movie was the fact that leadership isn’t about one person leading
everyone else, but also teaching and inspiring others to take charge themselves. In this movie,
Steve writes a column in his paper about Nathanial and his life. This inspires an elderly woman
to donate her instrument to the homeless man. The story also inspires the city’s mayor to
increase the budget that is allotted to homeless shelters and programs that help homeless
people. The initiative that Steve took to get Nathanial’s story out there not only changed the life
of another, but changed his own life as well. E Joyce

Becoming a leader can impact others around you, and yourself. When Lopez decided to take
action and become a leader, he impacted the life of Avery. He helped to show Avery what his
life could be like if he followed his dream and tried to get help for his mental disorder. In Lopez
helping Avery and writing a news article on Avery, Lopez also impacted and inspired the lives of
everyone that read the article about Avery’s life. Leadership is sharing with others what you
have learned, which can create a domino effect of learning around the world. Leadership is also
allowing other to impact your life like you impacted theirs. In this movie Lopez is impacted
greatly by Avery’s life. Lopez sees through the eyes of Avery how Avery has an unsinkable
passion for playing music, his freedom to do whatever he wants, and his attempts for
connection with love, have all influenced the way Lopez thinks about his own life. Lopez realizes
that he too needs to show that same passion for his career and the people he works with, and
his own love life.A Morris

The third lesson on leadership shown in The Soloist was that it doesn’t take a lot to change
someone’s life for the better. One little thing can snow ball into huge things and change that
person’s life forever. E Joyce
Dr. Strangelove

Dr. Strangelove is an example of a movie that displayed various types of leadership. Many of
the characters were given the chance to lead and didn’t, or when they did lead they did a poor
job of doing so. People need to take the initiative no matter what the situation and not just
blindly follow someone. Even leaders aren’t perfect and they don’t always make the best of
decisions. The best of leaders do, on the other hand, take the initiative and show confidence
even in the worst of situations. N Lund
Zombieland

When the combination of their personalities and leadership skills come together they are ready
to make an amazing zombie killing team! A Martin

So, even though Zombieland is not real (even though it could be someday) we can still take
these 9 rules created by Columbus and put it into real world situations. Now, why should you
follow Columbus? Because he is heroic, clever, practical, and he apparently knows how to kick
some Zombie butt! C Shevlin

Another must-have quality of a leader, is the ability to give your followers direction and for
them to trust you. Columbus clearly looks to Tallahassee for what they should do next and
Tallahassee always has a plan. One of Tallahassee’s goals in their trip is to find a Twinkie and
makes a couple of unnecessary stops on the way. Even though Columbus has no desire
whatsoever to find a Twinkie, he follows Tallahassee on his tangent stops. If you’re not
compelling, you’re not selling. Tallahassee was able to build up enough trust in his follower
(Columbus), that Columbus was willing to follow him no matter what. A good leader must be
compelling enough for his followers to believe in him and as well as themselves. K Dinwoody
Zombieland is overall a journey of survival, but in every survival story we can learn something
about leadership. Sometimes there are strong leaders that present themselves that everyone
can follow and survive, however Zombieland is more about learning to be a leader yourself. In
this story the members of the group work together to inspire each other to be the best they can
be and they learn from each other. D Ogden

Tallahassee, played by Woody Harrelson, is the most recognizable leader in the film. He contains
all the original and classic qualities that most notable leaders possess. This classic leader
includes the fundamental traits of a leadership such as fearlessness, goal orientated, and for lack
of better words “badassness”. He is a zombie killing machine which in a world of bone gnawing
zombies turns out to be a very important skill to acquire. His “badassness” becomes apparent in
his first appearance when he steps out of his vehicle in the middle of an abandoned highway
aiming his firearm steadily at the only living person within hundreds of miles. The other
character aims back at Tallahassee but can barely stand as he quivers behind an abandoned
vehicle. Even Tallahassee’s attire matches his firm personality. His cowboy boots and hat can
only seem realistic and suitable for someone with certain characteristics of true gumption.
Another example of Tallahassee’s unfailing leadership skills is his constant goal setting. Some of
these goals include seeking revenge on the zombies for the death of his son, finding a new
home, finding a Twinkie, and (possibly most importantly) helping others by self sacrifice J
Scheller

A Zombie infested environment true leaders are often the ones that are left standing. In the
movie Zombieland, this is no different. The movie consisted of frequent tests for the main
character often times putting them in position to make important decisions in order to keep
those around them alive. The continued onslaught of character tests proved to be no problem
for the clear leader in the movie named Tallahassee. The way in which he carried himself
throughout the movie was a clear indication of who was the one in charge. He found ways to
lead by example and knew when he needed to boost morale in his followers. Those abilities
proved to be essential to the group’s survival and are required of someone wanting to be a
leader in an organization or a world filled with zombies. J Kern

We know that to have a successful group there needs to be some kind of common goal as a way
to provide cohesiveness in order for the group to stay together and be productive at whatever it
is they are trying to do. In this movie the group’s main goal is survival against the angry hoards
of zombies that have taken over the United States. D Ogden
Big Trouble

Allen was presented with many leadership situations in which he could have stayed back with
the group of strangers and pointed, as in Kirk Weisler’s The Dog Poop Initiative. However, he
took advantage of these situations, stepped up, took lead, developed himself as a leader,
solidified his foundation as being a leader among strangers, and ultimately completed the
group’s goal of essentially saving the world. Although the goal was never established, it was
given. With Allen’s leadership abilities and his help from his team, they were able to use great
synergy to complete the task at hand. Had Allen not stepped up to accomplish these leadership
opportunities, we wouldn’t know what kind of twists the movie would have taken. C Gecewicz
Sherlock Holmes

Dr. Watson is a leader in his field as well, as one of London’s most profound doctors. He
chooses to follow Holmes even though he can create his own path and lead others. He chose to
be a follower, and does his job as best as he can do it, which makes him a great leader. S Durfee

Sherlock Holmes’ brilliance and cleverness may have solidified his reputation as the best
detective of the fiction world, but it is his capability to hold himself accountable for paramount
performance while solving these mysteries that has made him a leader. His individual traits are
palpable and his quest for greatness is infectious. His persona - mystifying, his plan – sometimes
a bit of a secret, his propensity for leadership - intensely apparent. While his skill set surpasses
most, it is of utmost importance that he utilizes the sum of his abilities to lead himself and his
followers in the direction of great accomplishment. Mysteries are no match for this man, but
the title “leader” is. J Jerkovich

Holmes has a number of fundamental skills, which he uses to get his job done. He is one of the
best at what he does and that fact alone makes him a leader. If you are not simply one of the
best at your field, job, position, talent etc. then you cannot possibly be a good leader. A Gilbert

Sherlock Holmes appears to be the leader in the movie and novels, but however John Watson is
the true leader. Holmes could not function without Watson’s moral reasoning and guidance
throughout his life. Watson shows his true leadership skills by being a well respected and a
character that people look up to in the medical community. Watson exercises his great
leadership skills by communicating properly as to help Sherlock be able to function and solve the
mystery at hand.
The Proposal

The Proposal is a romantic comedy that has an unexpected message about leadership. It
demonstrates what a bad leader is like and what a good leader can achieve. We learn in the first
few minutes that Margaret is a horrible boss who runs the office more like a dictatorship then a
democracy. However, throughout the movie Margaret’s transformation from a bad leader to a
good leader is not only inspiring but also funny. All of the main characters in the movie evolved
into better leaders in some way. Whether it was Andrew discovering how to stand up for what
he wanted, Joe learning to respect his son, or Margaret becoming a more considerate and
humane boss. The leadership undertones of the movie make it an interesting movie that every
potential and future leader should watch. A Fullerton

Being a leader takes a great deal of responsibility, it is a difficult and challenging job to take on
but Margaret has no desire to care for the others around her. Being respectful and caring for
everyone around is a very important aspect of being a good leader. Leaders have the ability to
influence everyone around them, but if the leader is giving off negative vibes then others will
tend to not care about what they have to say. This quote from the movie really stuck out and
bothered me. Margaret said to Andrew, “Why didn’t you tell me you’re some kind of Alaskan
Kennedy?” Andrew responded by saying, “We were in the middle of talking about you…for the
last 3 years.” This is an example of a leader not showing good leadership skills. Leaders have a
responsibility of taking care of all the “followers” around them and make sure their needs are
met by showing them respect. When a leader spends all their concentration on themselves
then what kind of a leader are they? A good leader should take the time to figure out why
everyone working for them is unhappy or better off make sure they never get that way. It was
obvious how unhappy everyone that was working for Margaret but she did not seem to care and
would just go on with her daily activities. She was definitely not there to please others. K
Robertson

Instead of using rewards to motivate her employees, Margaret used intimidation. She instilled a
sense of fear in her employees to receive completed projects. If these employees were
rewarded and recognized instead of intimidated, their dedication levels would rise and the
quality of their work would have been outstanding. Instead of putting in minimal effort, extra
thought and effort would have been put into projects. Becoming a great leader does not
happen without effort. In order to become a leader, you have to stand out over your
competitors and take initiative. … Margaret did not realize her lack of leadership skills until it
was almost too late. To avoid being deported to Canada, she was going to marry Andrew. It
took a trip to Alaska to visit his family for her to tap into her leadership skills. The first step
Margaret made towards becoming a good leader was calling off the wedding and correcting her
selfish decision. She also rewarded Andrew for the first time. She finally committed to get his
novel published and acknowledged his strong writing skills. If rewarded sooner, Andrew would
have been more inclined to go the extra mile at work. After the trip to Alaska, Andrew was
much more dedicated to his boss. He told her “I used to dream of you dying, then in Alaska,
things changed” (The Proposal, 2009). When Margaret’s attitude changed, her followers
stepped up.S Pingel

I’m sure that you are asking, “Well, how does this stereotype Margaret as a bad boss”? The
biggest reason that I would classify her as a bad leader is because she shows no consideration
and appreciation for her employees. Margaret has an army under her belt, but are they willing
to fight the fight for her? Probably not; and that is because she does nothing for her employees
in return for their hard work. She doesn’t motivate and inspire her employees the way a good
leader would. Instead, she intimidates them and belittles them in front of others to get them to
do what she wants. So they obey her and do not disagree with her in hopes of never enduring
her wrath. Margaret however isn’t the only example of a bad leader in the film; Andrew’s father
Joe is another example of a bad leader. A Fullerton
Pasta

Anyone can become a leader, despite all odds. Pasta portrays a leader and a repressed female
underling who start out feeling hopeless. The one who already has the abilities and authority
needed to re-examine himself to become the ideal leader. The repressed one who was never in
a position of leadership still managed to lead through example of persistence and ultimately
gives herself a bright future of becoming a head chef. G Lin
Public Enemy

Dillinger and his boys were forced into many adverse situations while they were constantly on
the run from the FBI. Their successful leader-follower relationship led them to the top of
America’s most-wanted list. It did not matter how many agents were after Dillinger, he was
always two steps ahead of everyone. Dillinger was always making life or death decisions on a
daily basis and his team was always looking for him during times of uncertainty and
unfamiliarity. Dillinger’s boys always turned to him to find reassurance that they were going to
make it out of every situation safely. The team obviously trusted Dillinger because they knew
that if he slipped up once then they would either be sentenced to prison for life or killed. The
team was always under extremely stressful situations, and they would have never made it half
as long as they did if the team had not entrusted Dillinger with their lives. R Anderson

This movie helped me to realize that leaders are not always the “good guys”. It is very possible
for someone to be a convincing leader even when doing evil things. Leaders that lead in this
fashion include Hitler, Jim Jones, and in this film: John Dillinger. Though he was the main
character, there was another man in this movie that displayed leadership in his own unique way.
This man is Melvin Purvis. There were two main leadership issues in this movie. The first issue
was Dillinger trying to lead his men to rob as many banks as they could and stay one step ahead
of the police force. The second leadership issue was Melvin Purvis trying to keep his men
focused on catching Dillinger even though Dillinger and his men were extremely dangerous. N
Vail

Does the strong leadership of American gangsters make Dillinger that much different from the
leadership shown by Marvin Purvis towards his FBI agents? In Public Enemies John Dillinger and
his counter, Marvin Purvis, act directly with the secrets of leadership we have recently talked
about in lecture from a good versus bad perspective. C Redenius

“Were having too good of a time today. We ain’t even thinking about tomorrow”. This quote
was said by John Dillinger in the film Public Enemies. One characteristic to being a good leader is
to have a positive attitude and have fun. By having fun, you are able to keep employee/group
member morale up and keep them on track to accomplishing the group’s goals. John Dillinger
does a good job of this by taking his “crew” out to local night clubs and enjoying themselves
while also talking about business. D Short

Knowing yourself and being confident in what you stand for are important qualities that all
leaders must demonstrate. In his opening scene, Melvin is shown gunning down “Pretty Boy”
Floyd, and this shows us an important side of his character. Melvin is a dedicated law man, and
he will do whatever it takes, even kill, to uphold the law. When one man is comfortable with
killing another man, it shows that he strongly believes in what he is doing. When Melvin shows
us that he believes in what he is doing, he is also proving to us that he knows himself and is
comfortable in his own skin. The dedication to the law that Melvin unveils in this scene is
witnessed by all the men around him. This sets a precedent for Melvin’s expectations and
shows us that actions speak louder than words as he leads by example. J T Neff
John Dillinger

I will start with the villain of the film, John Dillinger. John Dillinger oozes leadership. I think that
the fact that he was able to lead others to follow him in criminal activity is more impressive than
the leadership of Melvin Purvis. Dillinger had a following of the most loyal kind. We speak in
class about “following your leader up a hill to take bullets with him/her”. Every one of
Dillinger’s followers was willing to put their lives on the line for him. In class, we have learned
that leadership involves making your objectives clear, making sure they are doable, giving
feedback, appreciating your followers, and rewarding your followers. Dillinger did an
impeccable job with all of these things. N Vail
Shutter Island

Shutter Island proves that truly effective leaders, at times, must use extraordinary, even
unorthodox methods to reach their followers. P Stone
Red Cliff

There were not only many excellent leaders, such as Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill,
who left their marks on history for their great achievements, but many infamous leaders, such
as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin, who left an indelible stain on their reputation. On the one
hand, Cao Cao, a Chancellor of the Han Dynasty in the northern China, is a typical example of
dictatorial leader. He controls and treats his subordinates with his absolute authority. He is also
known as a cruel and fearsome leader. He unhesitatingly kills anyone who stands in his way or is
against his idea. On the other hand, he becomes a decisive, intelligent, and confident leader as
he commands his armies in the battle. Cao Cao commands his armies with clear and exact
directions, ordering where they will go, when they will march, and how they will attack. He also
knows that the allied forces are better experts in a naval battle than his armies. He appointed
two local rival generals of allied forces, who are also experts in both naval battle and geographic
information of the southern China, in order to train his armies for future naval battles. In my
opinion on Cao Cao’s leadership, because of a combination of his coercive leadership with high
legitimate power and decisive decision-making ability with extensive knowledge of military
strategies, Cao Cao becomes a strong and highly influential leader who can easily handle
800,000 soldiers in the battle. However, there is a disadvantage of his leadership style. Since
there is strictness and a weak bond with his followers in his leadership management, grievance
of followers will sharply increase. Consequently, there will be high risk that some of his followers
will turn their back on him at some point G-S Yang
More than a game

As far as LeBron’s team leadership is concerned he may have been a large distraction media
wise to the team, but on and off the court he was the heart and soul of the team. LeBron’s
leadership qualities included the voice of the team, motivating, the accepting teammate, and
the physical leader on and off of the court. His drive and presence enough was to enable the
others to work harder and try to better themselves. He was the team mediator and spent much
of the time taking on and dealing with issues of the media. A great leader often takes much of
the heat and does not assign blame to others and to his followers for short comings and failures.
After his eligibility was taken away after accepting “gifts” from agents, LeBron became the
team’s number one cheerleader and helped coach, motivate, and encourage his teammates
from a different viewpoint. He helped in leading them to the victory and kept the team together
through their tough times, even from the bench. M Dieckmann

A high school dream team followed James from middle school to St. Mary’s High School. They
weren’t a dream team because they had exceptional talent; they were a dream team because
they had exceptional chemistry. Lebron, as the leader of his squad, refused to join a prestigious
high school’s basketball team if his team could not follow, even if they were offering him a full
scholarship. This is an exceptional move on Lebron’s part. He put his chances of going to a better
high school on the line for his team. His move here showed his team that he was willing to go up
hill and take bullets for them. … Lebron has learned during his 7 seasons of NBA that he cannot
do it all by himself, he and his team is ultimately as strong as the weakest link. It is the leaders’
job to improve the links on his chain. N Brailsford

Leadership is about producing something that ultimately creates a way for people to contribute
to make something extraordinary happen. Leading is something that clearly happened and is
shown during a lifelong journey of four teammates in the movie More Than a Game. Teammates
LeBron James, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, and Dru Joyce III missed an AAU national title by one
shot as a team of 6th graders. They swore to stick together through high school with a goal of
winning a national championship, each playing their own roles as leaders with unique abilities. A
leader must first embrace the challenges and the roles set upon them, and have the heart and
desire to pick themselves and their followers up in bad times, and push them harder in the good
times. M Dieckmann
Star Trek

James T. Kirk is neither the smartest nor the biggest person, but he does have: a good right
hook, the ability to manipulate people for personal benefit, and the ability to talk himself out of
situations, all characteristics that he is not afraid to use. It is important to utilize your
strength(s), because they shape your personality and determine how you present yourself.E
Penna

The Job of a great leader is not only to lead and protect his followers. From him huh it is
required to see opportunities, to inspire his followers, most important of all to be a follower
himself. A follower of his own believes. His agenda. We find this theme all over Star Trek.
Frequently characters repeat their disbelieve for “No-Win-Scenarios”. This unbendable
determination for one self’s code of ethics is something some leaders of today apparently lost. It
is one thing to make false decisions but it is another thing to collect unrealistic compensation for
it. I want to refer to Ken Lewis the CEO, President and Chairman of Bank of America for example.
Collecting over 125 million in retirement benefits after a disastrous year for the bank, Ken Lewis
had to quit his job. Finally he gave up a small percentage of his financial settlement under the
immense public pressure. Also one should acknowledge that he relinquished his 2009 salary. I
am not saying that people in power should not be paid better, on the contrary. It is my believe
that a leader has so much more responsibilities that he has to be compensated for that. After
all, this accountability is a huge burden to carry. However, recently some of our leaders showed
us that they were only collecting the compensation but not carrying a burden at all. Followers of
those so called CEO should have the right to hold them accountable. M Futterlieb

James Kirk demonstrated a leader who can function in an orderly and purposeful manner in
situations of uncertainty. People looked to him during times of uncertainty and unfamiliarity and
found reassurance and security. James display of confidence inspired his crew. His confidence
and perseverance allowed his team to formulate a battle plan on defeating the Romulans. P Li

The Crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise is a paradigm for what leadership should be. Not to try to gain
personal interest like many of our bank managers displayed in the recent year. No, the
Enterprise Crew is leading for a higher purpose, to better each other. Their display of good
leadership can be found not only in their obedience or loyalty to their principles. If necessary
even the followers take the situation in their own hands and lead the way. Like in a company the
follower sometimes has to become the leader. M Futterlieb

“Attention crew of the Enterprise, this is James Kirk. Mr. Spock has resigned commission and
advanced me to acting captain. I know you are all expecting to regroup with the fleet, but I'm
ordering a pursuit course of the enemy ship to Earth. I want all departments at battle stations
and ready in ten minutes. Either we're going down... or they are. Kirk out.” What makes this
quote so powerful? It is all about letting your followers know what you expect of them. In this
statement, Captain James T. Kirk is being straight-forward and clearly communicating his
leadership. The outcome may or may not end well but his subordinates are willing to follow him
to the end because he has proven himself. This part is about three-fourths into the 2009 movie,
Star Trek. James T. Kirk is a young member on the Star Trek enterprise who finds himself in
several leadership roles. This movie is not just about James Kirk, it is about a team of leaders, all
from Starfleet. As a leader you want to surround yourself with great people: great leaders,
great followers, and those that are able to easily transition into exceptional leaders when given
the chance. L Shields

Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise demonstrates throughout the movie, the
determination to do what is right, and the heart to take risks as well as the ability to make
others around him (his crew) better in many aspects. B Clyne

“You know your father was Captain of a Starship for 12 minutes. He saved 800 lives. Including
your mother's and yours. I dare you to do better.” Leadership can come in many different
forms. Rather than always telling people what to do, Captain Pike knew James Kirk’s personality
and gave him a challenge to be better than some of the best men ever. Star Trek is a more of a
lesson in leadership than it is a movie. C Mader

Spock demonstrates his leadership qualities through communication, task management and self
supervision. Being placed in the earlier prescribed emergency situation, Spock says to his crew:
“I need everyone to continue performing admirably”. Knowing that his crew understands the
basic fundamentals of operating the ship, such as not letting emotions get in the way, Spock
does not need to make a grand speech to persuade his crew to continue performing for the
higher order. Therefore that simple message would validate everyone’s contribution thus far,
not putting blame on anyone, and motivate everyone to continue doing what they do best, in
order to complete the mission successfully. C G Tong

… motivation is a very strong persuasion for followers to lead, (the main) Captain Pike persuades
a young (future to-be captain) James Kirk: “Do you feel like you are meant for something better,
something special…… Your father was captain for 12 minutes, he saved 800 lives including your
mothers, and yours – I dare you to do better…” C C G Tong
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers Revenge of the Fallen is a movie that shows that leaders aren’t born but they are
made. At the beginning of the movie Sam is a very poor leader and is unwilling to make a
difference. By the end of the movie however, Sam is able to get everyone around him to risk
their lives to help him do what he thinks will save the world without any proof that it will work. J
Kroh
Funny People

“A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not”. In the movie Funny people, starring
Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen, that is just the case. Adam Sandler plays a man by the name of
George Simmons who is a famous comedian diagnosed with a terminal, inoperable health
condition. Ira Wright played by Seth Rogen is a struggling stand-up comedian who has always
looked up to George for his talent in the business. After finding out his condition, George takes
Ira under his wings and becomes some what of a mentor to him. Throughout the movie displays
of trust, collaboration, and tough love between the two men are shown. In the following
paragraphs I intend to go in depth about how the three things above were displayed and why
they are important when it comes to a leader/follower relationship C Egierski
Brooklyn’s Finest

It’s not always about the choice between right and wrong but sometimes more importantly it is
about what is right-er and wrong-er. The weighing scale of our choices is not always balanced
with a right choice and a wrong one. No, often we are faced with making a decision between
either two right choices or two wrong ones. This was the central theme in the new movie
Brooklyn’s Finest which depicts the lives of three different NYPD officers in Brooklyn, New York.
Each officer in the film battles with their own vices, struggling with their own conflicting internal
ideals of right and wrong while trying to stay within the law. Leadership and the role of a good
leader is not only defined by our choices as well but also the time upon which that we make
them. In the case of this movie a good leader must have a strong basis of what is right(er) and
what is wrong(er) and must be intuitive with their decisions and actions. M Walker
The Blind Side

Who would have thought that a homeless young man living on the streets of Memphis,
TN could be adopted and turned into a football coach’s dream and any opposing
quarterback’s nightmare? The story of Michael Oher is one of the best recent examples
of what it really means to go from “a normal follower to a great leader.” The movie
“The Blind Side,” shares with us the amazing life Michael Oher has lived thus far and
what it took for him to succeed not only on the football field but also in the classroom.
All it took was a little care from one woman, Leigh Anne Tuohy, to do something out of
the ordinary and not care about what other people thought of her actions but to do
something she felt was right…. In today’s world we need more leaders like Mrs. Tuohy
who are willing and able to take a stand to do what is right. It takes a special type of
leader to follow through with what they set out to accomplish and Mrs. Tuohy did just
that. By providing guidance and the necessary assistance to Michael he was able to
become a star in the NFL and a leader himself after being a follower for so many years
of his life.D Blake

I own 68 shirts. Michael Oher owns two. A lot of us like to think we would help someone like
Michael. If not because he has two shirts but maybe when we see him collecting other students
discarded popcorn after a volleyball game so he would have something to eat, or if we notice
him walking without a coat in the winter. But how far would any of us go, really? Maybe leave a
few shirts in his locker anonymously? Risk our social status and befriend him? Who would go so
far as to open their home to him and adopt him? The Blind Side’s story of overcoming great
obstacles and becoming a star in the NFL is, maybe unintentionally, less moving than the
secondary storyline, one of immense leadership by Leigh Anne Tuohy. E Iddings

Although we may not all be faced with a struggling individual in need of a better home, we are
constantly exposed to people in need. Whether it is an elderly woman at the bus stop, a mother
of three struggling to juggle the kids to the car, or a co-worker who simply had a bad morning.
All of these situations present an opportunity for leadership, for courage and compassion to be
shown towards others. A great leader is not someone who manages the largest corporation
with the highest paycheck, but rather any individual who chooses to do great, simple acts for
others everyday. R Harrison

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” (Martin Luther
King, Jr.) Martin Luther King's contributions to our history place him in this incomparable
position as one of our nation’s best leaders. He not only talked to the talk, but took action in
order to help us realize and rectify those unspeakable flaws which were tarnishing the name of
America. For thirteen long years, he was passively able to develop, expose, and free America
from many wrongs of social injustice. It was the right prescription for our country. Martin Luther
King, Jr. provided a candle along with a light. He also provided this nation with a road map so
that all people could locate and share together in the abundance of this great democracy.
Maybe that’s what a real leader is supposed to do: provide a guiding light for his followers.
Maybe a leader needs to not only talk to the talk, but walk the walk as well. One of the movies
that has a wonderful underlying message and learning concept about leadership is the movie
The Blind Side. Released on November 20, 2009, The Blind Side tells the remarkable story of
Michael Oher, the Baltimore Ravens offensive left tackle, and his struggle to adjust to his new
well-to-do lifestyle while coming from a poor, broken down neighborhood. Taken in by the
Touhy family, Michael’s full potential is questioned not only in academics, but in the new world
of football and his meaning of family as well. Leadership can take many different forms in the
world today, but the ability to believe not only in oneself but in your followers as well is what
leadership really is. A successful leader puts trust, responsibility and hope in their followers and
encourages them to dream big and believing anything is possible

The story is really about how he overcame that and how he became the man he is today. When
she takes a homeless 17-year-old boy into her well appointed home and highly accomplished life
Leigh Anne hardly considers the cost or risk. She does it because it’s the right thing. This movie is
about changing ‘world view’…. a good leader will develop a group of leaders that will not only
point out his or her blind sides, but they will protect them from blind side hits. Life is about
exposing, realizing and protecting blind sides. There was a conversation in the movie between
Bullock and her ‘desperate housewife’ friends. When one says, “What you are doing is so kind,
you are changing that boy’s life…” She responds by saying “No, he is changing mine..” (Kim
2009) That is the change of world view.
K Ward

The leadership skills that people can learn by watching the Tuohy family in this touching movie
have the ability to change lives everywhere. Leadership does not have to be about letting
everyone know what good things you are doing but instead it is the small things that make the
biggest difference. Getting to know the people you are leading and their strengths and
weaknesses can help build bigger and stronger relationships. Leaders should want to have close
relationships with their followers. Everyone can be a leader; it just may come more naturally to
others as in the case of Mrs. Tuohy and her family. Leadership may not come easy but when the
effort and heart are put into it the rewards are priceless H Butler

The Blind Side showed leadership in many forms from Leigh Anne Touhy, to Coach Burt Cotton,
to young S.J. Like it was stated earlier in the class, how do you know someone is a good leader?
Why would you want to follow this person? And the answer was: because this person can
change your life. In the beginning of The Blind Side, Leigh Anne, as well as other members who
came across Michael, were just regular southerners stuck in their own rich world. After meeting
Michael, their perspective about life drastically changed and they were touched. This was not
just a movie about football. It was a movie about the triumph over what was different. “I think
what you are doing is so great, to open up your home to him. Honey you are changing that boy's
life,” Leigh Anne’s friend says. Leigh Anne responds, “No, he is changing mine.” K Merchan

Leaders are also learners. Leigh Ann Touhy is a rich, white, southern belle that knows nothing of
this young man’s world. It is obvious that she knows little of Michael’s life, but she is able to
figure out what the boy needs and wants. She allows him the authority to make his own
decisions, though. For example, when they go clothes shopping, she lets him pick out what he
wants to wear. She changes him from being actively disengaged in sports and school to being
strongly engaged by the end of the movie. Her openness to challenge her own world views and
trust in this gentle giant changes both of their lives. C Matusik

Have you ever witnessed something that left a mark on your soul and made you want to be a
better person? Instances that move you so deeply, in which you find yourself searching for
something to help make a difference in the world, are rare. Watching The Blind Side will fill your
heart with so much love and compassion that will make you want to leave your own legacy with
your time here. At first glance, The Blind Side seems like just another movie about football and a
family that helped get a boy get to where it is today. Both of things are true, but there is a much
deeper message embedded in the movie. Based on a true story, The Blind Side, tugs at all your
emotions as it brings you along on the rollercoaster ride that the Tuohy family endures after
Michael Oher entered into their life. The movie displays acts of courage, it shows the positive
effects seizing opportunities and it teaches you to always do what is right. S Harris

In the words of Kirk Weisler, “What is your big moo?” What is something special that you have
done or have to offer in order to better someone else? ….In the movie, The Blind Side, Sandra
Bullock’s character’s big moo was extraordinary. It was through her big moo, that she displayed
fantastic leadership to her family and her whole community. S Wien
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Leigh Ann, like most people, got caught up in what people think is important and should define
who you are. For the first time in Leigh Ann’s life, she saw she had a purpose greater than she
could have ever imagined, all because she took a risk.
From that moment on, Leigh Ann looked at life differently and it seemed as though she saw it
with a deeper meaning. S Harris
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“You can give a man a fish, but he will only be able to eat for one day. However, you can teach a
man how to fish so that he can feed himself.” Leigh Anne taught Michael how to fish. She gave
him the tools and support needed for him to succeed. That to me was what was remarkable to
me. A leader teaches its followers the knowledge they need to know to succeed, and in the
process they nurture and care for them in order for them to have the support to keep going.
Leigh Anne was Michaels leader, she supported him and taught him what he needed to know in
order for him to attain his dream. That was what is remarkable about this movie. The power we
possess is frightening, the power of love and support can truly change lives. C mooman
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How does this work in the real world? You can’t get to know your employees by moving in with
them like Michael did with his family in Memphis. For the rest of us it’s trying to get to know
your team and building relationships to build that trust. One way to do that is to ask your team
what motivates them or asking how they like to be managed and really trying to get to know
them. It’s your job as a leader to ask those questions and, once you get those answers to make
sure to work with your team to get them in situations in which they will excel.
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Now this isn’t a quick process. You can’t ask those questions on day one and day two you
miraculously have trust. It’s an evolution that you’ll have missteps doing. Once you ask your
team how they like to be managed keep an eye out for what they’re good at. Look for what
natural talents they have and as their leader how can you help cultivate them. Getting to know
your team and what makes them tick is critical. Their differences are what can help make you
successful. K Ward
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For the entire first two weeks of class there was absolutely zero leadership. In fact, there was
chaos, mayhem, and confusion. Students were practically crying out for a leader to take charge
and guide us to be someone or something. The first two weeks of class eerily resembles that of
the first 17 years of young Michael Oher’s life. Michael was born into a chaotic life, being the
son of an extreme crack addict and living his life in a constant state of fear. From not having a
stable family, to not knowing where to run to after he left each and every foster home he
entered, Michael’s young years were filled with complete mayhem and confusion. We expect
leaders to step up and show the followers the way to do things. When our leader in class,
Professor Feinberg, failed to lead us we felt the same exact feelings that Michael Oher felt
during his first 17 years of life. Similar to the class, Michael then began to cry out. Michael’s
crying out was him disappearing from each foster home, walking from place to place, and trying
to find somewhere stable to stay. W Stuart
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The most inspiring moment in The Blind Side is the exchange between Leigh Anne Tuohy and
one of her friends. Her friend, Beth, says, “I think what you are doing is so great. To open up
your home to him. Honey, you are changing that boy’s life.” Leigh Anne’s reply was, “No. He is
changing mine” (Hancock, 2009). This is a great example of how taking advantage of an
opportunity can lead to great rewards C Hurlburt
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. Mrs. Tuohy, herself, also faced similar criticism from her friends. She was constantly mocked
at and poked fun of by her friends in her social circle. Though, despite this criticism she moved
on, raising Michael the best way she could. She scarified her “friends” because she knew that
being a part of Michael’s life was the right thing to do. Mrs. Tuohy’s daughter witnessed her
mother’s friend’s criticism multiple times. She also witnessed her mother telling her friends that
they should be ashamed of themselves and that she was indeed doing the right thing. This
leadership by example trait that her mother displayed lead Mrs. Tuohy’s daughter to start
socialized with Michael at school, despite what her friends said to make her feel bad. Mrs.
Tuohy’s leadership had rubbed off on her family, and in turn, the Tuohy family started to employ
doing the right thing as well. S Wien
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“The Blind Side” is an excellent portrayal of leadership and guidance. If we all took the time to
look into someone else’s heart and help them to achieve their goals and become better people
we can be great leaders M Younger
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Whether you are Michael Oher leading your teammates on the football field, an out-of-towner
leading your car aimlessly into a ditch, or a CSR 309 student promoted to leader within your
group – always remember one thing. Be careful out there. Who is watching your blind side? L
Garrison
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While many would focus on Michael Oher or the coach for leadership in the Blind Side, it is Leigh
Anne Touhy who is the driving force behind the scene. Leigh Anne Touhy is a tough no-nonsense
individual who positively affects everyone she comes into contact with throughout the movie.
She is the one that everyone else leans on for support and encouragement. Leigh Anne is a
leader because she recognizes in others their talents and what drives them and then she uses
that knowledge to help them grow as individuals. Throughout the movie this is what she does
for Michael Oher. L Gilmore
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Lastly, and perhaps most notably, Leigh Ann Tuohy empowers her followers. She empowers
Michael to be the absolute best he can be, both academically and on the football field. She
challenges him. She inspires him. She listens. Outside the realm of Michael alone, Leigh Ann
sets a precedent for those around her. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and spreads to first the
members of her family, and then to those in her community. By the end of the film there isn’t a
single person that doesn’t support what she’s doing. Her confidence caused others to follow W
Herrmann
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Michael’s life would have never been able to reach its full potential if Leigh Anne would have
not pulled over to pick Michael off the street. Leigh Anne is a great example of a leader. She
lived in the suburbs and had the life to match. She decided to give this individual a chance to
live to his full potential. Leigh Anne ignored the ridicule from her friends and defended Michael.
I believe that by just leading Michael down the right path for his own success qualifies her as a
great leader. She gave him a home, a family, and the opportunities that he needed to succeed
and I think that is one of the most important qualities of a leader is giving your followers all the
opportunities to succeed in whatever the task at hand K Snow
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Her brashness and openness to challenge her own view of the world and her community define
her leadership abilities. She creates an opportunity to make a difference and create progress. As
a leader, she helps Michael discover who he really is and the potential of who he could become.
To me, there are a few key qualities that define Leigh Ann as a leader. S Botlo
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. Case and point, the family could have driven past like so many other cars had, but instead,
Leigh Ann stepped up to do something about a clear problem that so many others chose to
ignore. Leaders step up when no one else will, and that is precisely what Leigh Ann and the
Tuohy family did. W Herrmann
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Leadership is not necessarily the loudest man in the room, it is not the one with the most
compelling story to tell, sometimes it is the woman who recognizes a troubled youth and takes it
upon herself to do the right thing. At personal risk to her reputation and family, she shows
everyone in a rich, white town, including Michael, that everyone deserves love, everyone
deserves a family and most importantly that everyone deserves a chance. L Fruehman
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Leadership is self-sacrificing, unrestricted, and pure. The Tuohy family has influenced the minds
of people all over the world. They are leading people to create better social environments and
teaching us how to become leaders ourselves. E McDaniel
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One afternoon, an out-of-towner drove his car into a ditch in a desolated area. Luckily, a local
farmer came to help with his big strong horse named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car
and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move. Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster,
pull!" Buddy didn't respond. Once more, the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!" Nothing.
Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" The horse easily dragged the car right
out of the ditch. The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer
why he called his horse by the wrong name three times. The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind
and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't have even tried." The reference to
blindness in this short story is used first and foremost in a literal sense; however, it also
exemplifies a common mindset pertaining to leadership. Leaders embrace potential and
initiative in their group members, however many people chose to remain blind to any sort of
responsibility or ownership of the group. Regardless of his physical differences, the farmer
knows that Buddy has the ability to pull that car out by himself. Why doesn’t the farmer instill
confidence in Buddy, so he will be able to achieve the task without an imaginary team? In order
to be an effective leader, you must recognize and respect the differences in the people you work
with and confidently overcome challenges and translate those inevitable differences into
success as a whole. The challenge comes when people like Buddy come along and don’t realize
the potential within themselves, never less within a group. Similar to the farmer story, the
movie The Blind Side introduces a teenage boy named Michael Oher, who seems to be on a lost
track with little confidence in himself or his future. The Blind Side demonstrates the power of
an effective leader by introducing Leigh Ann Touhy, a woman who not only eliminates the blind
factor by acknowledging Michael’s potential, but fully invests herself in broadening her
perspective and initiating change in her own life as a result. L Garrison
Cool Runnings
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In the end, the whole team, Derice, Sanka, Junior and Yul, showed great cohesiveness when on
their last run, the bobsled broke and they crashed just 100 meters from the finish line. The team
got out of the bobsled and walked it all the way to the finish line in order to actually finish. It
was a moment of great emotion that showed the culmination of their hard work, leadership and
effort to be accepted.G Bermudez
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The team quits responding to Derice and Sanka finally stands up and tells him that they didn’t
come to the Olympics to be like the Swiss. Sanka says “The best we can be is Jamaican”. This
was a powerful moment in the movie because Sanka a follower helped the leader to realize that
they had lost their direction as a team. This was the turning point for the team. Leaders
sometimes focus so hard on improving that they forget to listen to the needs of their followers.
Once Derice realized that his approach was having a negative impact on his teammates he made
adjustments. Leaders make this same mistake all the time. They think that they alone know
what is best for the group or the organization. Shutting out followers is an easy path to failure.
The best leaders constantly are communicating with their team. B Devaney
Blow
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George’s motivation in life take’s him to California, where anything seems possible, and here is
when he is challenged with his first real test of leadership. He obtains the opportunity to take
control of his life for the first time. He chooses to do so by starting to deal marijuana to people
on the west coast with a close and trusted group of friends. In the leadership and business world
these would be known as his co-workers. Amongst his friends they rely on each other to develop
a secret, risky business in order to reach their number one goal. As any leader would do, George
lays out the obligations and explains what exactly is expected of each person’s role. This creates
a universal understanding for every member, making the business process smoother C
Schmierer
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As anyone that has been in a leadership role or the business world would realize you can’t
predict, but you can prepare. George has made many decisions in his life up until this point that
have come with consequences. He has gotten into an industry that is illegal and he has
abandoned his parents, all to create the life he has always desired. He never lost track of his
number one goal; to become someone in life and not end up like his parents. Eventually his
decisions that he made and his leadership has a person turn on him. Ultimately, his mother ends
up turning him into the police and he ends up going to jail. Every decision comes with a
consequence. There are good leaders and there are bad leaders. C Schmierer
Inglorious Basterds.
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Leading by example can be a powerful leadership tool because it makes it easier for followers to
know the proper protocol to follow within a group. Lt. Raine is at the front of the line in every
battle, is the first one to speak at any meeting, and is the one the soldiers turn to in time of
uncertainty and need. When Lt. Raine acts supremely confident, it enables his men to stay
focused and on task. Leaders need to constantly reassure their followers in order for the group
morale to stay high. Leading by example is also an easy way to gain credibility as a leader. For
example, if Lt. Raine was not the hard-nosed officer he was, his men might not believe in the
things he says. Since Lt. Raine lives by his word and keeps his promises, his troop trusts his
orders and follows obediently. His motto could be considered ‘Say what you mean, and mean
what you say.’ The credibility established by Lt. Raine makes him an entertaining and reliable
leader to watch throughout the movie. J Manchak
Raine also shows throughout the entire movie that he is very goal-oriented. He will go to
extreme measures and do anything to achieve his goals. When he has the men lined up he tells
them their goal. Their goal is to bring him 100 Nazi scalps a piece, and he emphasizes that he
really wants his Nazi scalps. Making sure there is a clear objective is vital for any group. If he
would have just said, “Kill Nazis,” they would not have a way to measure how they are doing. He
can feel that they are going in the right direction by Hitler fearing them and constantly thinking
about them. He stops at nothing to reach his goals; he even negotiates with enemies to help
him reach his goals. This shows that he is the type of leader that won’t give up on you no matter
the circumstances. L Bunch
Often times, leaders are unable to deliver clear messages to their subordinates. This loss of
translation results in negative consequences. This film demonstrates the correct way to deliver
direct and effective goals. In the initial briefing of his men, he states what is expected of them
before they are dropped into Nazi occupied France. He identifies with his men by informing
them where he is from and what his views are. Then he goes on to explain to his men that they
have been hand selected for a specific purpose. Their one and only job is to kill Nazi soldiers
stationed in France. He stresses that he will be there with them and he will be keeping track of
their progress. A successful tactic he uses in motivating his men, is giving them a quota to work
towards, 100 Scalps. Aldo successfully established a rapport with his newly acquainted men,
motivated them to accomplish a task, and finally set a goal to track their progress. Lt. Aldo Raine
initiated a positive leadership experience and proceeded to be effective by fearlessly leading by
example. M Bell
Lt. Aldo Raine uses many different approaches and tactics to establish his
leadership. Once he has established that leadership, whether it be to his
new recruits or anyone he comes into contact with, his leadership is honored
with respect. He uses different tactics to enforce his leadership. Raine
also is not afraid to use his men as a scare tactic to obtain what he wants.
He demands his expectations from the beginning and maintains them throughout
the movie. When he sets an agenda that is the only agenda that is followed
and ends in the desired result. He has loyal soldiers that will follow his
orders with their dying breath’s. That is established leadership! E Pancis
The most intriguing quote of the whole movie involves Lt. Aldo’s call to action. “They're the foot
soldiers of a Jew-hatin', mass murderin' maniac and they need to be destroyed. That's why any
and every every son of a bitch we find wearin' a Nazi uniform, they're gonna die. Now, I'm the
direct descendant of the mountain man Jim Bridger. That means I got a little Injun in me. And
our battle plan will be that of an Apache resistance. We will be cruel to the Germans, and
through our cruelty they will know who we are. And they will find the evidence of our cruelty in
the disemboweled, dismembered, and disfigured bodies of their brothers we leave behind us.
And the German won't not be able to help themselves but to imagine the cruelty their brothers
endured at our hands, and our boot heels, and the edge of our knives. And the German will be
sickened by us, and the German will talk about us, and the German will fear us. And when the
German closes their eyes at night and they're tortured by their subconscious for the evil they
have done, it will be with thoughts of us they are tortured with. Sound good?” (Lt. Aldo Raine)
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The speech outlines the objectives clearly, and manages to motivate the team to go along with
this far-fetched mission. They get to Europe and they are quite good a scaring Nazis. Hitler
himself addresses the problem, and doesn’t know what to do in order to cope with the basterds.
On one occasion they lose quite a few men because of an altercation with the Nazi’s. Part of
being a leader involves keeping ones composure when difficult times arise. Lt. Aldo keeps his
cool in the situation by negotiating with Nazis to the best of his abilities in order to ensure his
team completed the task at hand. He stayed in control of tough situations throughout the entire
movie, and although the missions were extremely risky; his team never once doubted him as a
leader. He embodied courage, and determination throughout the whole movie. For he never
once gave up no matter how tough things got. He kept his composure even when he was
captured and death stared him directly in the eye. J Miro
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Once your team knows that you are willing to do anything for them, the possibilities of
production are endless M Bubien
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When leaders prevail, followers will follow. As Dwight Eisenhower said in my opening sentence,
“Tell followers what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” Giving followers
instructions is very important, because as a leader you will see if your instructions are given
effectively. If a leader can lead by example followers will more than likely be more productive.
C Baaker
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No matter what tasks are performed or given in any situation, leadership qualities are usually
the factors that drive to such decisions. Whether it's to complete a mission for the good of the
organization, to come to a decision to only benefit yourself, or finding opportunities that are
available, these are just a few examples of what leaders can come across with. In the movie
Inglorious Basterds, both the Colonel and Lieutenant showed leadership qualities that can have
positive and negative effect on an organization. If looked at closely, one can see leadership
qualities in any movie; you just have to put yourself in the situation and ask “What can I do?” E
Lee
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There are many reasons to appreciate how Raines led his men and how it relates to leadership.
First, he knew the type of men he needed in order accomplish his mission. In the movie, there is
a character that was going to be executed for deaths of Nazis. Raines finds out who he is, and he
plans for his men to release him from prison so they can use him to defeat the Nazis. Knowing
who you need in order to assemble a successful team is vital in your efforts to accomplish your
goals. As a leader, if you pick people who are not capable of accomplishing your goals, you will
fail almost every time. This is why companies conduct interviews to find out who will best fit and
strive to achieve their organizations’ goals. J Hetrick
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“My name is Lt. Aldo Raine and I'm putting together a special team, and I need me eight
soldiers. Eight Jewish-American soldiers. Now, y'all might've heard rumors about the armada
happening soon. Well, we'll be leaving a little earlier. We're gonna be dropped into France,
dressed as civilians. And once we're in enemy territory, as a bushwhackin' guerrilla army, we're
gonna be doin' one thing and one thing only... killin' Nazis…We will be cruel to the Germans, and
through our cruelty they will know who we are. And they will find the evidence of our cruelty in
the disemboweled, dismembered, and disfigured bodies of their brothers we leave behind us.
And the German won't not be able to help themselves but to imagine the cruelty their brothers
endured at our hands, and our boot heels, and the edge of our knives. And the German will be
sickened by us, and the German will talk about us, and the German will fear us. And when the
German closes their eyes at night and they're tortured by their subconscious for the evil they
have done, it will be with thoughts of us they are tortured with. Sound good?” Yes, it sounds
very good. This is one of the most compelling speeches that I have ever heard; I would be ready
to follow Lt. Raine in battle, as were his troops. Lt. Raine knows how to lead others; he tells
them what to expect, makes it doable, rewards his troops, gives them feedback, and rewards
them again when the task is complete. K Noah
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For effective leadership to occur, it requires an in depth understanding by the leader. The
understanding of what must be done, how it can be accomplished, the capabilities and desires
of one’s subordinates, and the understanding that collaboration is more effective than a solitary
effort. In the case of Aldo and Inglorious Bastards, the mission itself was provided by the U.S.
government. As leader of the task force, Aldo’s responsibility was to clearly relay the message
to his troops and execute. This was done by lining his troops and explicitly telling them that he
requested 100 Nazi scalps from each troop, and that they were to deliver on this request or die
trying. By explaining this mission in such a direct manner, Aldo explained the perils of this
mission and the dedication he required. His honesty exemplified his respect for his troops, a
gesture that was reciprocated. It is through this. S Hankin
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Lt. Aldo Raine, unfortunately was not a real person during World War II. Although if he was, he
would have been one of the greatest leaders the world would have seen. He was setting out to
evoke change for the greater good. He not only acted as the CEO and clearly outlined the goals,
expectations, and mission for his followers, but he possessed the passion that earns him respect
from his followers needed to be a successful leader. Each one of the Basterds would follow him
up the hill and die for his cause. The mission statement for the Basterds is to evoke fear in every
Nazi soldier and to bring them down through guerilla warfare. Each one of Lt. Raine’s
employees knew the mission for the company, so they were able to carry it out. There were
specific and measureable goals set for each employee and that was to provide 100 Nazi scalps.
Having a goal helped the Basterds measure their progress and actually see how they were
carrying out the company’s mission. The Basterds lived by a take-no prisoners attitude, “You
probably heard we ain't in the prisoner-takin' business; we in the killin' Nazi business. And
cousin, Business is a-boomin'” Only once did they let a Nazi soldier go, but not before they
branded him with a swastika on his forehead. Having a shared attitude helped create a
company culture and in turn helped the employees work together to meet their goals and carry
out the mission.
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The mission is important to a company because without one, there is no purpose. However,
without passion, a mission has no purpose. Your employees must see the value in what they do
in order to be successful, otherwise they will just go through the motions and won’t be nearly as
productive. Most of the Basterds already saw the value in what they are doing, mainly because
they were all Jewish. However, Lt. Raine gave them the means to carry out their revenge. He
evoked the passion in doing so, and he gave them the validation they needed to believe in
themselves. In one scene, Lt. Aldo Raine is introducing his team to a group of Nazi solders.
“That's Sergeant Donny Donowitz. But you might know him better by his nickname... the Bearrrr
Jewwwwww... Now, if you heard of Aldo the Apache, you gotta heard about the Bearrrrrr
Jewwww...” This is just one example of Lt. Raine validating his employee by expressing the
infamy of Sergeant Donny Donowitz to the Nazis. Its small things like this that create
camaraderie and turn a group of soldiers into a team of Inglourious Basterds.
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The Basterds’ feat was not small; often it was nine guerilla soldiers against troops of twenty Nazi
solders. However, because they had respect for LT. Raine and believed in his cause and because
they had passion and determination to succeed in carrying out the mission and their goals, they
became the most notorious group of soldiers and were feared by all Nazis. They followed Lt.
Raine up that foothill expecting death but experienced glory E Doherty
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Lt. Raine picked the best soldiers for his Bastards. He based his decisions of off performance and
scare tactics. He wanted to best of the best, so he gathered Jewish-Americans from all over with
the best “stats”. Whether it be how they kill people, where they are from, or how well-known
they are to the Third Reich, he picked them all for specific reasons. This is a great strategy for a
successful leader to obtain. Every leader needs to pick the best for their organization or it won’t
live up to its potential. L Ashby
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Inglorious bastards showed me that a leader needs to find good people to work as a team, how
to conduct myself in front of my team, and the importance of making sure my employees know
the goals of the organization. Whether in battle or in business, leaders are needed. J Hetrick
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War is a time when the true character of individuals is revealed. In such intense circumstances
humans cannot possibly behave the way they do on a regular basis. This presents a unique
challenge for any leader in a war-time situation. A war leader must deal with life or death
situations. The most basic, yet important, thing that any person has to sacrifice is their life. To
get someone in a position where they are willing to sacrifice their very life for a bigger cause is
quite remarkable. Lt. Raine had to deal with both of these situations. He motivated his soldiers
to put America first and themselves second. While he was able to do this, he dealt with yet
another unique challenge. His soldiers were transformed into blood-hungry killers who seem to
have lost sight of reality, but in fact their reality has been changed. Lt. Raine paints a vivid
picture of that change and gives each soldier a unique part to play, which gives the soldiers
ownership.K Noah
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Lieutenant Aldo Raine is characterized as a transformational leader. He was delegated to take
eight Jewish American soldiers into Germany to kill as many Nazi’s as they can. He has a deep
sense of responsibility of these goals when he explains the mission to his recruits. Throughout
the movie he leads his men through dangerous territory determined to execute his goals. This is
a strong suit in a leader because a good leader needs to be able to transform the commitment
levels of the people following. A Wang
Award for perfect relationship between first and last paragraph award to Mr. Devereaux for
Bride Wars
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“I’m Marian Sinclair, the most sought after wedding planner in Manhattan.” (Sinclair, Bride
Wars) So what is it about her? Why do so many people want to put her in charge of their
wedding? Why does her team work so hard for her to pull off such an event? What is so
compelling about her that these women put their entire wedding in her hands and trust her
leadership and guidance for their once in a lifetime special day?
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So what is it that makes Marian Sinclair so compelling? Is it her assertiveness or ability to remain
calm under the many pressures of weddings? She may have a few downfalls that make her hard
to approach and intimidating, but all of the other leadership skills that she has acquired makes
her team work hard and also makes the brides feel comfortable. She is compelling because she
is able to show to her clients that she, Marian Sinclair, will make their weddings a night they will
never forget. D Devereaux
Up in The Air
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In a film that focuses on corporate downsizing and people losing their jobs, there are going to be
difficult conversations. Just like in many tasks with others, we all experience conversations like
these. Ryan teaches us that there are steps to handling a difficult conversation. A plan has to
be developed! If there is no plan or organization to a conversation, it will go nowhere and
accomplish nothing. We have to understand what we want as the outcome of the conversation.
In dealing with others, there will always be certain barriers to overcome and these need to be
understood. Always try to develop a win-win situation. It’s a matter of ethics. Nobody wins if a
relationship has been ruined. The final step is to keep our emotions in check and always
acknowledge others emotions and feelings. In difficult conversations, people want to know
“What’s in it for me?” so tell them. Ryan turned negative situations into opportunities for many
of those that were fired. With a well-developed plan, a leader can handle a difficult
conversation and developed a win-win situation for all involved. J Ealy
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Being able to listen and communicate efficiently will also allow one to build individual
relationships with the people of an organization. It’s common for employees to feel isolated
today with all the emerging technologies and our fast paced world. However, not regularly
seeing the people face to face that follow you can be detrimental to their workplace behavior.
Without this type of interaction, employees may become confused, unwanted, under
appreciated, and start to draw unfavorable conclusions about how the company treats them. In
addition, the emotional effect that human interaction has definitely makes a difference in the
future of a workplace. There was a point in the movie, Up in the Air, where people were
becoming terminated through iChat as a new medium to cut costs. The film did a phenomenal
job of displaying the emotional heartache and disrespect one can feel when face to face
interaction is non-existent. Leadership is about building trust, and trust is emotional. Being
physically present to support employees is fundamental in building relationships. L Tinder
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The movie portrays his journey and exemplifies change, not only in a corporate setting, but in
lifestyle as well. A Henning
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Another imperative step in being a valuable leader is constantly and consistently communicating
with employees. When the employees were being terminated in Up in the Air they were
completely shocked and chaotic when finding out the tragic news. As a leader you can avoid this
by keeping staff members informed on a regular basis of the company’s status and direction.
The heartbreak of losing one’s job is inevitable, but the process is much smoother and easier to
handle if the people of an organization are totally informed on what is happening within the
corporation. There will be a time when all leaders will have to deal with similar misfortunate
events within a company, but consistently listening and communicating can ease the emotional
transition of your followers. L Tinder
The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
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Percy had several issues as a student and regular person that challenged him to persevere
through tough times, but eventually gave him invaluable skills. He also earned the respect and
rapport of his followers through his actions and decisions that made those followers are willing
to sacrifice themselves for him. TCarlstedt
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
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Being a cheerleader, in essence, is the best way to motivate others around you to be great.
Sometimes, all it takes is a few powerful words to set people back on track. In Flint’s case, both
of his parents were there to inspire him and remind him that he had what it takes to be great if
he put forth the effort. In one instance, Flint had almost completely given up and hid himself in a
garbage can. His father was aware that only Flint had the knowledge to save his town from the
terrors of the over-sized food that was falling from the sky. Flint’s father decided to go out and
give Flint his old lab coat and remind his son that he was proud of him. The newly motivated
Flint then went on to fix the problem. This serves as a reminder that with validation and
encouragement, we can gain that extra push to accomplish our goals K Robertson

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a morally-crammed picture scattered with valuable
leadership lessons about making the correct decisions in the face of success, fame, and
temptation. … Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a great tale teaching children the dangers of
obesity and gluttony, as well as depicting many leadership aspects through its main character,
Flint Lockwood. Flint’s tale shows children that anyone can become successful no matter where
they came from or how much they have failed in the past. Most importantly, Cloudy with a
Chance of Meatballs attempts to teach kids the dire importance of making the right decisions
under all circumstances, no matter how much persuasion or temptation you face. Hopefully the
movie will teach children some quality lessons about staying true to themselves, having a vision,
and sticking to their morals, goals, and values in the face of pressure and temptation. Z Pettet

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In “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs”, the scene were the character Flint Lockwood
represented leadership is when even after multiple invention failures, one of his inventions
brought his little hometown hope and happiness by having a machine that made pieces of food
fall down from the sky when all they had to eat was sardines. Companies need leaders that
aren’t quitters. Also they need a leader who brings order and direction to its followers inside the
company. This is why Flint Lockwood is a leader; he showed his community that a single person
could bring the support from his entire community filling them with hope with his inventions S
Sadurni
Crazy in Alabama

The point of the film is to teach some important life lessons such as following your dreams,
standing up for what you believe in, and taking initiative. A Andrews
Law Abiding Citizen

Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something
extraordinary happen. Does this definition mean leadership has to come from people doing
positive things? As our thirty-third president, Harry S. Truman put it, leadership does not
always mean leading followers in a positive direction, you would need a citation for tis…where
did it come from> it means persuading people to do what they don’t want to do, or do what
they are too lazy to do, and like it. In the movie Law Abiding Citizen, Clyde gets his followers to
do exactly what he wants them to do. He does this by using the five secrets to leading others
that Dr. Feinberg taught us. These five secrets to leading others are: to tell them what you
expect, make the expectations doable, reward them, give them feedback, and when it’s done,
reward them again. When a leader shows and exercises these five attributes, does it necessarily
make them a good leader? …. In the end, the question that needs to be answered is: when a
leader shows and exercises these five attributes, such as in the movie Law Abiding Citizen, does
it necessarily make them a good leader? In this movie, Clyde can be considered a leader not
only because he possesses the five secrets to leading others, but also because his followers
learned valuable life lessons from him; however, he harmed many people along the way. He did
this by using behaviors many people would not look at as leadership, but made a difference in
people’s lives. As someone brilliant once said, if there is nothing special about your work, there
is nothing you should be recognized for. In the movie Law Abiding Citizen, Clyde’s work was
brilliant and taught many people life lessons along the way, making him a great leader and a
great teacher. S Hanna

The point to be learned can be easily sum up from a quote in the movie by Nick Rice saying, “A
man I cared about, once told me that we can’t retract the decisions we made, that we can only
effect the decision we are going to make from here.” Yes majority of us aren’t leaders yet or the
leaders we want to be. Therefore, we must make that life changing decision and find that
motivate that will carry us through the toughest of times. Otherwise we will never grab others
attention and gain followers. To have success you can’t rely only on knowledge and experience,
but have to find something you’re passionate about, something that gives you that motivation
to act with all your heart. As you accomplish that you will be forced to be a leader as the people
around you that are less confident began to be attracted to your strong spiritual being and
persistence. A Gonzales

Clyde Shelton was motivated by the injustice that his Wife and Daughter have experienced, the
emotion of losing his family. Just like Kirk Wiesler’s book “The Dog Poop Initiative,” Clyde took
initiative of cleaning up a mess. It may seem wrong and all in all it may be unlawful. He sought
justice for the real criminals. He was driven to get the criminals involved with his case off the
street. He took full initiative and killed every one of them. In the court scene, Clyde expressed
what was wrong with our justice system. He took a control of the situation and made things
happen. W S Mills
The Hurt Locker

Imagine being in Iraq with 98 degree weather wearing a 70 pound armor suit walking in an open
street filled with garbage, stray dogs, and Iraqi people staring and watching your every move.
You come to a pile of garbage in which you think a bomb is hidden, you dig through the garbage
and find a bomb that is armed and ready for detonation. Your adrenaline is pumping and you
try to control your emotions as you begin to diffuse this bomb. You successfully diffuse it, but
notice that there is a wire attached to this bomb and you begin to follow the wire and discover
that it is connected to several other wires. You grab the center of the connected wires and six
more bombs are dragged out of the ground. This is what Staff Sergeant William James had to do
in the movie “The Hurt Locker.” James becomes the team leader of an elite Army bomb squad
in battle ridden Iraq. Staff Sergeant William James uses unique and yet unconventional
leadership skills and tactics to adapt to the changing styles of urban warfare in the twenty-first
century. R Konzen

Trust is a much harder for a person to gain the trust of his subordinates in a warzone than it is
for a leader walking in to a corporate environment. This is because in a warzone soldiers are
much more aware of the fact that if you put your trust in the wrong person it can have
devastating consequences like death or capture. A scene that truly emphasizes this sense of
trust is in one of the closing scene that takes place at the sight of a recently detonated IED. After
the IED has gone off in a small village SFC James orders his men to follow him to try and capture
the men responsible for this devastating attack. This is a extremely dangerous command
because trying to capture the enemy that is hiding in a suburban environment leaves them
extremely vulnerable to an ambush. Bravo Company follows the order with little hesitation
because SFC James has earned their trust. A Conkright

“My team Leader is inspiring. He's going to get me killed. At least I'll die in the line of duty,
proud and strong.” This quote was from Specialist Owen Eldridge from The Hurt Locker. A
gripping movie about American soldiers in Iraq with one of the most dangerous jobs in the
world: disarming bombs in the heat of combat. In situations where any move could mean life
or death, leadership is very important. For a unit to follow a leader effectively, many
components have to be developed. Most people will not follow someone into a situation that
could mean life or death blindly. C Miller

His job is to disarm bombs, and he is probably one of the best at doing his job. What makes him
so good at his job? That is a tough question, but I feel that it is his mindset and characteristics
that make him such a quality leader. He is represented very well by the Nike slogan “Just Do It”.
William takes orders but it is the orders that he makes and confidence that he has in his
decisions that makes him a strong leader. He has the mentality to just do his job and do it to the
best of his ability. His characteristics that make him the leader he is are confidence, courage,
strength of heart, motivated, trustworthy, and his willingness to put his life on the line. I would
follow this guy into battle because of his strong leadership abilities. Not only does he show his
courage disarming bombs, but he also shows a strong leadership skill in leading his team in
battle and combat situations. He can control not only himself but also those around him. The
strongest leaders are shown in situations of war because there is the factor of life and death.
Not only could you lose your life, but you can affect the life and death of those around you. That
kind of pressure takes true leadership.L Stoltz

The film shows many aspects of leadership and the potential failure of leadership when the
leader lets personal problems get in the way of his duty. The main leadership aspect that will be
focused on is how to become a leader in a team or group that already had a strong previous
leader the team was very used to and how it impacts the future and success of the team. J
Hebenstreit

While Sergeant James’ was certainly not conventional in his leadership methods, he was
successful in getting the respect of his team and making sure that they made it home safe and
back to their family. J Gorman

The beginning of the movie shows the systematic, constantly updating one another method that
the bomb unit used with their original leader to Sergeant James taking over and completely
ignoring everyone and not saying a word on the headset. The communication from a leader such
as a bomb squad unit for example needs to have his other soldiers understand the plans they
put together, what each soldier’s responsibility is, and each soldiers expectations just to name a
few. The lack of communication and sharing of information with one another showed that even
though it may seem small or something over looked; in this case it could be the difference
between life and death. J Craddock

If there was a bomb in a building that could explode at any minute; would you have the courage
to run into the building to defuse it to save people’s lives? Courage cannot be the only aspect
that drives a person to put his or her life in danger, but there must also be a deep personal-drive
to be responsible for others. That drive is the basis of which great leaders are built upon. “The
Hurt Locker,” a film about an elite Army bomb squad unit in Iraq, portrays an excellent example
of this drive to lead and the challenges that come with it. K Peter

Not only did James portray a leader by taking risks but by also doing the best job he could, given
the many difficult situations. Many of us have great working situations in the office with a desk,
computer, and air conditioning. This is an ideal working space to build great ideas and solve
problems. James was able to save hundred of lives in a desert with only a gun and a radio.
People can learn that it is not about the technology that is available but about what you can do
with your own skills and mind. James was given a small robot to first check out and remove the
bomb. When this plan failed, the team was ready to give up but James bravely dove in and
completely diffused all the bombs in the little time they had. Through brave leadership, James
displayed the qualities of a leader that does the best with what is given to him. K Arias

“Another two inches, shrapnel zings by; slices my throat- I bleed out like a pig in the sand.
Nobody will give a shit. I mean my parents- they care- but they don't count, man. Who
else?”(Sanborn) How do you motivate your followers to be enthusiastic to awake to a day where
it might be there last? How do you get them to trust in you as a leader when the outcome of the
day is so unsure? These were questions that came to my mind while watching the film I found
that you must instill a sense of purpose in your followers. A great leader will help his followers
to truly believe that there is a sense of purpose for what they are doing. E Thelen
The Time Travelers Wife

I watched the movie and thought to myself after this is someone I would want to meet. Her
strength and courage make me want to be a better person. I am glad I watched this movie
because it shows you that you just don’t have to be successful in your career to be successful in
life. Some people measure how truly happy they are in their relationships. I found it refreshing
because all we hear now is how much money you should make and I feel that is all people
measure success for… I believe that people can possess leadership qualities that do not
necessarily have to apply to the work place. People can be leaders in their personal lives. I think
that is where your leadership qualities develop, and those qualities and confidence transcend
into other parts of a person’s life. Whether that may be work, volunteer services, or just taking
more initiative to become a better leader. A Kazimierczuk
Avatar

“Sometimes your whole life boils down to one insane move,” said Jake Sully as he showed
leadership by being courageous enough to conquer and ride the most dangerous creature on
the planet of Pandora. He leads the way for the other native hunters by showing up and going
first, despite his uncertainty and fear of the unexpected. Sully never backs down when faced
with a challenge, which makes him an honorable and respectable leader that the Na’vi people
end up trusting in to keep them out of harm’s way. Jake Sully, in the movie “Avatar,” is a prime
example of the principle that leadership can be taught and is not necessarily a trait instilled in a
person at birth. This epic 2009 action film is visually dynamic and has shocked its audiences with
its picturesque videography and realistic animation, as well as inspired them in their own lives
with its many life lessons of leadership, courage, and community. Avatar is a perfect
representation of how effective leadership can prevail against all astronomical odds, and lead a
unified people to a better tomorrow K Schamber

The true predicament that Jake Sully finds himself in is whether to turn his back against his own
race or not. He decides that the natives need his support when he sees the course of action
taken by the humans. This decision is one that isn’t very difficult for Jake to make because he
grows closer to the Na’vi tribe and their outlook on life and falls in love with one of the natives,
Neytiri. This question of loyalty is only answered on a person to person morality issue. Some
would say one thing or another, but the true test of a leader is convincing others that this way is
the right choice, and hopefully the two become the same thing.C Privett

However, if you look past the 3D special effects, incredible graphics and breathtaking shots, you
will find countless signs of leadership woven into the seams of the film. J Diedam

organizations need a common goal to promote cohesiveness. That is why it is so crucial for a
leader to stick with their organization’s widely important goal (W.I.G.). These goals guide the
overall principles that guide and connect employees. An organization’s W.I.G is only successful
when the people implementing it are using it as a way to conduct their everyday activities. The
Na’vi people stuck with their common goal of giving back energy they borrow, and when that
common goal was at a threat, they formed a common goal with Jake Sully which then became
the movies widely important goal. Every Native Pandorian along with Jake Sully and his friends
made this W.I.G. the fight of their lives. It is understandable that not all employees dedicate
their lives for the organizations W.I.G. However, leaders must truly believe in their organization
and its goals so much that it they feel like they are fighting for their lives. A Thomas

The overall leadership theme portrayed in this movie is standing up for yourself and others for
what you know is to be right. Sully's character may have just been a peon military unit, but he
knew something wrong was going on and didn't stand there and let it happen. It takes a leader
to stand up and take control of a situation, but it takes a good leader to stand up for what's right
and make it his mission to make sure the right thing is done. In Avatar, this is precisely what
Sully did by recruiting the native people and even some of the other military personnel who saw
what bad things were going on. J Diedam

Sometimes your whole life boils down to one insane move,” was said by Jake Sully in the movie
Avatar when he decided to go against his “own team” to help the other Avatars live and remain
in peace. Some people choose to act on situations while others let them drift right past them.
Who knows how your own decisions could affect your life, maybe it could benefit you, maybe it
won’t, but you won’t know until you make a decision. In order to be a leader you must be able
to make decisions for yourself and not second guess anything you are doing. A leader is
someone who can stand up for their own decisions and get others to follow. Leaders are
leaders for a reason, because they have the motivation to succeed and make a difference. Why
lead if you do not want to succeed at a specific task or reach a significant accomplishment? J
Ryan

He rose to the occasion and took the initiative to lead the Na’vi even when it seemed to be
much smarter and beneficial to stick with the original plan. He could have received great
monetary awards if he had sided with the human RDA Corporation, but instead he decided that
his integrity and honor were more important. Jake Sully demonstrated many leadership traits
throughout the movie, but three instances in particular are what made him so successful. He
was able to create a shared vision, he was willing to take that big risk in order to succeed, and he
overcame a major obstacle in order to gain the respect of the Na’vi. S DeNovi

“I became a Marine for the hardship. Told myself that I can pass any test a man can pass. All I
ever wanted was a single thing worth fighting for.” I am what I am today because I was willing to
endure any amount of hardship and any grueling tests to gain something worth fighting for. Jake
Sully, the main protagonist for the movie Avatar, spat these words at Colonel Quaritch as he
made his twisting, final decision. Throughout the movie, the tests that Sully endured challenged
his mental capabilities as well as his physical handicaps to the max. Sully took it upon himself to
decide what was most important in his life; he took the reins and took us on a journey we would
never forget. … Did he become a Na’vi for the hardship? Did he pass any test a Na’vi can pass?
Did he reach his ultimate goal, as not just a Na’vi, but as Jake Sully? Jake Sully’s adventure was
more than just another movie that was can enjoy with our loved ones, but a lesson in how one
can grasp leadership in his/her own life. His venture into Pandora proved something more: that
he was a man amongst men, a leader. Throughout all the events that occurred and every
man/Na’vi test that he has endured, we can ask one question. This question pertains not to his
abilities or his person, but to his followers. If we asked for a raise of hands amongst the Na’vi
tribe for Jake Sully’s worth as a leader and all he has done, what kind of response would we get?
We would get about a hand or two from every member, along with whoops, dances, and a few
flying animals all cheering in unison as they glide in the midday’s cool air. A Lam

Leadership has the ability to stretch across racial divides. Jake Sully, the hero in the film
“Avatar,” was a white male human marine who was chosen to pilot an avatar so that he could
comingle with a foreign tribe on the planet of Pandora. His mission was to infiltrate himself into
the tight nit community and become “one of them” in order to get access to valuable mineral
deposits buried under the Pandorian Hometree. His mission was steered off course when he
began to understand, respect, and love the peace and unity of the native Na’vi tribe and treat it
as his own. As he climbed up the ranks of the tribe, he was able to obtain leadership despite the
racial difference. Discrimination was overcome as Sully began to see through the Pandorian blue
exterior and into the hearts and souls of his new fellow tribe members. K Schamber

Additionally, Jake demonstrated leadership when he decided to turn against the humans. Jake
became a part of the Navi tribe and began to believe the humans were wrong in their
exploitation of Pandora. Jake showed leadership by standing up to his race when he saw they
were wrong. Many people do not have the courage to stand up for what is right, especially
when they are standing up against their peers. Jake provided an example for people to follow
when they see something wrong in the world. People should stand up for what is right, even
though it may result in harsh consequences. People in history have stood up against others
when they saw something was wrong. People such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks
both took a stand for civil rights and were put in prison for it. Leaders take a stand for what is
right, even though they may be persecuted, judged, or disciplined for their actions. S McCrea

What do we take away from this movie though? We are able to learn a lot about how to become
a good leader. Not only that it takes a special type of person to be a good leader, but also that
you need help along the way. That is the biggest learning point of the movie. If Jake didn’t have
the supporting cast that he had in this movie, he would have never been able to reach the
heights he did in the end. To understand and be able to accurately dissect a great leader, one
must understand where the leader came from. What is it that this leader took from each person
is a way to better understand that leader. Ultimately I was able to see the leadership role from a
different vantage point than I had before. This movie teaches the stages of leadership instead of
focusing on the end product that we usually see in public or in other movies. A great leader is
not simply born, but guided and molded along the way with the experiences they have. D
Brown

Leadership is also exhibited through the way that the movie Avatar was created and produced
by ingenious director James Cameron. Instead of waiting for the technology he dreamed of to
be available to the masses, Cameron went above and beyond the call of duty and made it a
reality himself. Leadership is all about taking risks and being inventive with the resources that
are available to you, while at the same time thinking outside of the box as to what is possible.
Cameron once again demonstrated why he deserves top rankings as a Hollywood director,
because he refuses to settle for less and instead strives to be a pioneer in his field for the next
best thing. K Schamber

The main leadership lesson I learned from the movie Avatar is to allow yourself to learn from
others and do not let your “marine issued ego” get in the way. Observing and imitating your
superiors is the number one way to grow as a leader. Also you must know what your purpose or
job is and must be completely committed to executing to the highest degree. Being dumped into
a new job in many ways is like being dropped onto an alien planet. Confused and alone the only
thing that can be done is to observe and allow yourself to develop… Jake Sully and his
adventure is a great metaphor for life. Not every situation you face in life will be easy for you.
But with hard work and perseverance anything can be achieved. Whether it be the leader of the
Na’vi or the CEO of a company, always strive to do your best and learn from your superiors at
any chance you get. J Pohl

Jake Sully though was willing to die to gain the respect of the Na’vi, and in return they gave their
lives for him and fully believed in his shared vision and goal. S DeNovi

“Go to the people. Learn from them. Live with them. Start with what they know. Build with what
they have. The best of leaders when the job is done, when the task is accomplished, the people
will say we have done it ourselves.” -Lao Tzu. Leadership can require at times to step
completely away from what you know, leading yourself and others to what is right. Few
individuals have the skill and courage to take this kind of leadership upon them. These strong
leadership skills include: being trustworthy, selfless, courageous, strong willed, independent and
willing to learn. A recent 2009 film called Avatar by well-known director, James Cameron, shows
a wonderful display of this difficult position of leadership. Without this form of leadership, our
world would not exist as it does today. Leaders such as Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King
Jr., Adolph Hitler, and Abraham Lincoln, all possessed these leadership skills that changed our
history, even if it wasn’t for the best at times. Avatar portrays a great review of the skills and
qualities needed, and the hardships these leaders overcome.

Leaders are faced with tough decisions when they represent two opposing sides to a conflict. In
this film, Jake not only represents his own kind, but now he is an honored member of the Na’vi.
As a leader, he at first attempts to get the two groups to compromise. The scientists want the
valuable mineral under the surface of the land, yet the Na’vi do not want to see their home
destroyed when they are so intertwined with the nature. When he sees that this is not an
option, he must choose which path to follow. Jake knows he must take the moral high ground
and chooses to go against his own people to fight for the Na’vi home. He can see from time

spent on Pandora that the people and the nature both have a special tie that neither can survive
without. Jake is aware that once he makes this decision there is no turning back, yet he still
makes the sacrifice and stands up for what he believes is right, even if that means suicide. R
Thompson
The movie itself can be laid out as a map to being a good leader, showing the steps along the
way. Leaders are not just thrust in to the spotlight, but mentored and taught by others. It is
through these lessons along the way, that the ability to become a good leader arises if one
interprets and grows from each lesson. D Brown
UP

Ms. Brandt’s three rules for leadership:
1. Carl Fredricksen: Respect Your Elders… They’ll Surprise You
2. Russell: Never Underestimate a Wilderness Explorer Scout
3. Charles Munts: Never Judge a Book Their Cover

More often than not in our society a “leader” is defined by their title. Titles such as CEO,
President, teacher, parent, manager, and team leader are often used in tandem with the term
leader. In class, it has become evident that a true leader need not have a title, rather be those
who use leadership as a verb. Action based leaders are those who take an undirected group, and
with encouragement, input and guidance get them across the bridge to success. The past month
of class in CSR 309 has been a mess of students stuck on the wrong side of the bridge with no
idea how to get across. There are few true leaders, mixed with the incompetent, actually
attempting to guide us to success. These true leaders give guidance toward achieving the task at
hand in addition to facilitating an environment to achieve the ultimate goal, life lessons in
leadership. Although elected by the class to be leaders through a two step process and only the
second allowed us to see a glimpse of leadership in action. In our organization, the designated
groups leaders play the role of leader, but within the lie dormant action leaders who help drive
the organization. In times of uncertainty, and need the group members can look to these
leaders for direction. But if the leader is pessimistic, or unwilling to help, they look to the other
members for guidance K Lahrman

Along the way Carl Fredrickson shows that he is capable of being a great leader. He leads a
collective group that he does not get to pick. He shows that you can lead people you wouldn’t
choose and still be successful. Carl also demonstrates how if you set your goals and strive
towards them you can achieve them. He has so much motivation to get his team there that he is
willing to do anything to get there. He motivates everyone around him to keep going and keep
focusing on the goal. He kept his team focused on the goal because he created a vision for them.
He set his expectations and they knew what was needed to be done. When ever his group was
veered off the path he made sure to refocus them on the task at hand and the ultimate goal.
Ultimately, Carl Fredrickson showed that when your group is given to you without choice, as
long as you can motivate them, keep them focused, and tell them what you expect out of them,
then your goal can be achieved. J Oles

A powerful leader does not always have to be in the presence of his followers. It can be one who
has passed away years ago, who has left a lasting impression, and one that has made his
followers want to do good for. For example, Mr. Fredrickson’s wife passed away when the two
grew old together. She always had the dream to have her house be located on the edge of the
Paradise Majestic Falls. What does Mr. Fredrickson do when she passes away? He completes his
wife’s dream by blowing up enough balloons to lift his house out of the ground and float up in
the sky. Eventually, he makes his way to the spot his wife always longed for. M Grider

There are many leadership themes throughout the movie; however one I found most important
is “keeping promises”. We have talked about in class that leaders need to stay true to their
word. Without this characteristic, followers will have little to no trust in their leaders, and
eventually tend to not care and may even give up on the task at hand. In “Up”, Carl, the main
character meets a young girl named Ellie. Throughout their friendship, they make many
promises and plans for their life together. One promise made is that they will travel to South
America together. They continue to work hard and save their money for their upcoming trip.
However, life tends to get in the way and they often had to delve into their trip savings for other
problems that come up. After Ellie dies, Carl remembers his promise to Ellie, and decides to
complete “their” dream. This leadership lesson is a very important one and when becoming a
leader we need be true to our word. Be sure to not say things you don’t plan on doing, and if
you do promise things, then do them. M Peterson

Leading by example can be a powerful leadership tool, because it makes it easier for followers to
know the proper protocol within a group. From that point on, Carl was mentoring Russell and
confident in the lessons he taught, this enabled Russell to be focused on the task instead of
stumbling through the day within his own thoughts and actions. Leaders need to constantly
reassure the followers in order for the morale to stay high. Carl realizes this and makes sure that
through his actions, he assists Russell while becoming closer to his personal goal of reaching
Paradise Falls. Leading by example is also an easy way to gain credibility as a leader. For
example, if Carl continued his grumpy, emotionally detached ramblings, Russell would never
have gained any respect or admiration for him. Mr. Fredricksen’s acquired leadership qualities
allowed Russell and himself to be successful as a result. A Govert

All three of these characters in Up were leaders that were misjudged, surprising the audience by
the way they stepped up, or in Munts’ case stepped down, from trying situations. Carl was just
an old man who seemed to be at the end of his life; he took the opportunity and achieved his
life-long goal. Russell seemed to be just a young wilderness scout who didn’t know much about
anything because he was just a kid, without him, ‘Kevin’ would have been captured and Carl
probably wouldn’t have learned a great life lesson in helping others. Munts’ was thought to be
an amazing adventurer who children looked up to, when in reality, he got too caught up in HIS
goals and it affected his team and ultimately ended his life. All three leaders are very different
but similar when considering that you are not always a leader, you have to work to be a leader
and at any age you can be a great leader, or a terrible one. J Brandt

Although in the beginning Mr. Fredrickson did not want to be a leader, I think because of the
responsibility, he does become one in the end. I think in this movie with this character he was
not born a leader but became one. He understands the importance of his role and steps into it
like a leader should…. The alpha dog was a leader for all the dogs but he showed bad leadership.
All the other dogs were afraid of him and the alpha dog used fear to make the other dogs obey,
they were too scared to disobey the leader. In the end this leadership through the use of fear
and threats was not effective. When the Alpha and Doug were fighting, Doug took charge and
the other dogs would not listen to the Alpha’s commands and all started laughing at him. This
teaches you the lesson that you have to respect your followers and not have them be fearful of
you. If you treat them badly in the end when you need them they will turn on you and not be
there for you. Again a leader is as important as their followers and you need that respect from
them.K Kosinski

This movie has a hidden leadership message that can pertain to everyone who wants to achieve
a goal. No matter what a person’s goal is, whether it is a simple goal or a life time goal, a person
must always have a strong sense of determination and motivation to succeed. It is always
helpful to have someone there to keep your head on straight and to keep you pointed in the
right direction. A good leader is always determined with the goals that they set for themselves.
This movie is a great example to show that no matter what obstacles get in the way of your goal,
if you are determined to achieve whatever it is you are set out to achieve, no goal is to lofty or
impossible. B Dooper

Up is an outstanding motivational and inspirational movie that teaches everyone from children
to adults that there is no unattainable goal. If people can lead by example while exerting
enthusiasm the bystanders will become followers. If you show people how much you trust in a
mission or belief, they too will be inspired to support you all while bettering themselves and
learning new lessons. A Govert

To put it nicely, Carl is not too keen on the idea of getting assistance from anyone, especially
Russell.

Instead of getting discouraged by Carl’s attitude and insistence on Russell leaving, Russell
chooses to tough it out with a cheerful outlook. In doing so, we learn a superb leadership lesson
from Russell. We can parallel Russell’s example with what Kirk Weisler taught us regarding
positively contagious leadership. Of course Russell did not know he was implementing and
practicing such a leadership tool. Russell was showing us that you can keep your spirits high
during times of challenge and change. Dealing with Carl and his stubborn mind-set was possibly
the toughest challenge Russell had faced, but he kept knocking on the door and responding in a
positive way. E Quick
Invictus

Mandela was a role model for making the most of every opportunity. "The day I'm unwilling to
risk my political capital and public opinion, is the day I'm no longer qualified to lead," said by
Mandela in the movie. The quote demonstrated one of the most important Mandela embraced
his responsibility and the importance of his people when he had the control of the nation. While
Invictus appeared to be another sport movie this year, it actually demonstrated the powers of
leadership that could achieve in different paths. Mandela took what it takes to overcome the
obstacles and definitely he achieved his goal with the Rugby team. C Sio

The film Invictus provides a great representation of leadership through the characters Nelson
Mandela and Francois Pienaar. These two individuals collaborated to bring together a split
nation. Their efforts instilled a sense of unity and pride in the South African population during
one of their most difficult times in history to date. This story is transformative in nature and sets
a great leadership example that many can apply today. It emphasizes the importance of setting
high goals and doing everything possible to achieve them. This real-life account is truly
inspirational and motivating. The poem “Invictus,” the basis for the film, is documented below.
In addition to the main theme of the film, this poem emphasizes the importance of persistence
during hardships. Without the dedication of President Mandela and Francois Pienaar, the
reconciliation of the South African nation would have been merely an idea. Their effective
leadership strategies changed a nation for good.

“Invictus” by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
C Ubelhor

An important thing that we see thorough out the movie by Nelson Mandela is gratitude and
validation. With a big smile he always said compliments and thanks everyone. In a rugby game
he went to the bleachers and thanked a fan for “honoring our new flag”. From the first game to
the last one he thanked all of the players in the team. Thanking people gives a lot to say about a
person. It is a way to show that someone care, a way to make that person feel appreciated.
Mandela also did another important thing that was to know everyone by name. He learned all
the names of the rugby team and so he could always say hello and thank them by name. He also
learned things about them for example if they had any injuries and ask them about it. Little
things like this showed the people that he cared about them, making him more believable and
lovable among his followers. Another great thing that he did was validation. In numerous
occasions he told people good things about them. For example in the afternoon tea scene when
the lady came with the tea he told her in a very exciting tone “you are a shining light in my day”.
It was evident how these words make the lady feel good about her because she was smiling the
whole scene. These are the little things that we should implement on a daily basis. P Chen

On his first day in office as South African president, Nelson Mandela, played by Morgan
Freeman, addresses his staff saying, “Some of you may know who I am. I could not help noticing
the empty offices as I came to work this morning and all of you packing up. Now, of course, if
you want to leave, that is your right. And if in your heart you feel that you cannot work with
your new government then it is better if you leave right away. But if you are packing up because
you fear that your language or the color of your skin or who you worked for before disqualifies
you from working here, I am here to tell you to have no such fear. What is today is today, the
past is the past. We look to the future now.” He begins his first day in office with kind words and
a forgiving mind, even though some of his staff were the people who ultimately sent him to
prison for all those years. The level of leadership portrayed by Nelson Mandela is immense. C
Kennedy

Inspiration is so rare. Many people in this world are lucky enough to have a glimpse of it,
however only a few truly get to experience it in its purest form; a state of inspiration that
changes lives, directing them to content, control, health, success and most importantly
happiness. “Invictus” is a movie about the inspirational story of Nelson Mandela and how he
used the universal language of sports to unite a divided country. H C Lee

Goals end expectations are important things that a leader should tell his followers. From the
beginning of the film, Mandela has known his goals and what he wanted to achieve with South
Africa. That is uniting the country. He wanted to eliminate the color barriers, make everyone
equal and for that he wanted the whole country to love Rugby. He didn’t see rugby as just a
sport, but a greater opportunity; the start of a new era of peace and unification. He knew it was
not going to be an easy job but he was determined to give his very best. On his first day as a
president, the first thing he did in the presidency was to communicate his goals, vision and
ideals to the presidential staff. Because of this, the staff knew that they didn’t have to leave
their job because of new government. Instead, they knew they had the option to stay and help
build a better country. Mandela gave a speech so compelling that I think that the people that
wanted to leave, didn’t leaved because he got their respect and convince them that they could
do better. P Chen
Sunshine Cleaning

Leadership is known as the power to influence others and take charge of other people, but what
about being a leader in one’s own life? The film Sunshine Cleaning explores this idea through
Rose Lorkowski, a single mother with a dead-end job as a maid. She leads herself from
miserable and meaningless to finding purpose by finding something she was skilled at and
turning it into a business that helps people dealing with traumatic situations. The most
prominent and significant example of leadership on one’s own life is Rose’s mantra - “You are
strong, you are powerful, you are a winner”. Without this mantra, Rose would not have the
confidence or motivation to start her business. V Lewis
Award for the message we should all pay attention to from Ms. Shields…” And to all: “Live long and
prosper.”
See you at the movies…YO